IDNO

P.99962.VH

Description

F.H. Dufty studio photograph of a Fijian man in Christian war or ceremonial dress, and holding an iirimasei or iirisakiki chief’s fan, made from a leaf of the niumasei or niusakiki fan-palm, Pritchardia pacifica and festooned with filmy streamers of macerated, striped and frazzled pandanus or coconut leaf. He has a plume of similar but perhaps hibiscus bast streamers in his hair, wears an fringed white barkcloth iwabale shoulder sash, and has girded his malo loincloth high up under his ribs in the challenging malowala manner. The groin of his malo, however, is masked by a liku overskirt of striped, dyed and pleated pandanus leaf. The muscles of his legs below the knee are banded by fringed vesa wrappings strung with trade beads. Note the photographer’s clamp.
Circa 1875-1876. [Fergus Clunie, 14/7/2003]

Physical Condition: Print mounted onto card.

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Ovalau Island; Levuka

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Dufty, Francis Herbert (Dufty Brothers, Levuka)

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1875 - 1876

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: Dufty’s Levuka studio is recognisable through the painted studio backdrop to represent a view out a window with shutters (note the knob added to the shutter that casts a shadow). This appears to be a feature of Dufty’s studio throughout the 1870s, although the idealised landscape ‘view’ changes around 1875-1876. Possibly the same mat is draped over a sideboard? in P.70830.VH. This configuration of studio props appears to be used by Dufty between circa 1874 - 1875. The Photographer, Date, and Place fields have been amended accordingly. [JD 13/3/2012]

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 26/1/2012]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Fund. [JD 26/1/2012]