IDNO
P.99738.VH
Description
P.99738.VH - P.99741.VH: Series of four photographs taken on the same occasion of various Fijian men’s meke or dance groups. Mid 1870s-1880s?
The occasion might be the bosevakaturaga or council of chiefs meeting convened at Waikava, southern Vanualevu in November 1876 - see P.99727.VH, P.99728.VH.
Many have their faces blacked or otherwise painted, as for war - a pre-Christian practise still permissible on such occasions as this one. All but the waistbands of their malo loincloths are hidden by a variety of liku overskirts, and many have long trains of fringed white masi barkcloth looped from their waist sashes. Some - see particularly P.99740.VH - wear fringed white ivauvau hair wrappers, fringed behind with streamers or dangling tails, others white masi headbands with pompom-like tufts above the temples, and long dangling tails behind. Vesa arm and leg wrappings of various kinds, including some fringed and bead vesasausauwai , are widely worn, together with the occasional itaubebatinivuaka boar tusk pendant and qato or trochus shell bracelet. Those of P.99739.VH are armed with genuine clubs, as are most of those in the other photographs, except for those of P.99741.VH, who are mainly armed with travesties whipped up for the occasion. The group squatting at the left of P.99741.VH are equipped with iirimasei or iirisakiki fans made from the leaf of the niumasei or niusakiki fan palm, Pritchardia pacifica. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003]
Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.
Place
Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; South Vanua Levu; ?Waikava
Cultural Affliation
Named Person
Photographer
None
Collector / Expedition
von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)
Date
November 1876
Collection Name
von Hügel Collection
Source
von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)
Format
Print Black & White Mounted
Primary Documentation
Other Information
P.99725.VH to P.99758.VH were in the belted folder now numbered C539/1/. This was formerly kept in paper archive Large Box G; VH1/4/5. It has now been transferred to the photo archive. The lists describing the contents of this box have been returned to the Paper Archive.
MAA Exhibition: The original print was displayed in Chiefs and Grovernors: Art & Power in Fiji, May 2013 - April 2014. [JD 20/04/2014]
Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 8/1/2012]
This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Fund. [A. Nadin, 4/9/2003]
FM:234388
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