IDNO

P.99959.VH

Description

Studio photograph of young Bauan exquisite, Ratu Sakiusa, and friend. See P.99878.VH for details. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003]

Studio portrait of two exquisite young Bauan swells, Ratu Sakiusa standing at left with the chiefly iroi fly whisk. Both have flashy youths’ hair styles - Ratu Sakiusa’s otherwise quite short hair being drawn up in a tuft at the back of his head, with tobe ringlets falling down the back of his neck, his companion sports another comparatively short hair style backed by a Mohawk-like crest. Ratu Sakiusa’s iwabale shoulder sash and equally skimpy malo loincloth, the latter drawn up high in the provocative malowala fashion, are of fringed and patterned barkcloth, with the groin area of his malo discretely screened by a beaded liku overskirt. His companion has a qato bracelet made from a sici or trochus shell above his left elbow, and is wearing a fringed and rather skimpy isulu skirt. Both wear beaded necklaces. Note the photographer’ s clamp behind Ratu Sakiusa.
Circa 1871-1873. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003, from record P.99878.VH, JD 22/1/2012]

Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka; Bau

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Ratu Sakiusa

Photographer

Dufty Brothers, Levuka

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1871 - 1873

Collection Name

von Hügel Collection

Source

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.99726.VH to P.100050.VH were in the belted folder now numbered C539/3/. 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.

Photographer: This print was provisionally attributed to “?Dufty Brothers, Levuka”, but Dufty’s Levuka studio is recognisable through the backdrop of foliage, including banana leaves, to the right and the pineapple? plant to the left. The same chair also appears in a number of Dufty’s photographs. This configuration of studio props appears to be used by Dufty between circa 1870 - 1875. [JD 12/3/2012]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Fund. [A. Nadin, 10/10/2003]