IDNO

P.99783.VH

Description

F.H. Dufty photograph of the valeniveilewai or courthouse at Bau, built atop the high stepped yavu or housemound of Nayavucerecere, on which had stood Navatanitawake, the burekalou or spirit house of Ra Cagawalu or Komainayavucerecere, the great war god of Bau.
The building is in the form of a spirithouse of the Fijian religion, high spiritual standing and authority being proclaimed by the tall yavu, the great cleated ramps leading up to the doorways, the high roof, and the white cowry or bulidina shells covering the long projecting ends of the ridge-pole.
See P.87252.VH for comparison with Constance Gordon Cumming’s 1 May 1877 painting of the “New Court House”.
1877. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Near Viti Levu; Bau Island

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Dufty, Francis Herbert (Dufty Brothers, Levuka)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1877

Collection Name

von Hügel Collection

Source

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.99759.VH to P.99825.VH were in the belted folder now numbered C539/2/. 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.

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 9/1/2012]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Fund. [A. Nadin, 4/9/2003]