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Tabua

human history
  • Other Name

    Whale tooth (English)

  • Description

    Tabua. A ceremonial whale's tooth with a hole drilled at its tip and base areas for suspension. An iyau (treasure) of high cultural value to Fijians. Sourced from a tovuto (sperm whale), the tabua is a crescent shape, curved and ground down to a point at its tip, and ovoid in cross section. The outer surface of the tabua is highly polished and an off-white colour. Several long grooves along the length of the tabua's surface with dark coloured marks in them.

    The rim around the base of the tabua is jagged and thin. The hollow inner cavity of the tabua extends into the middle of the interior of the tabua and is conical in shape and dark brown in colour. A thick cord of fibre is strung through each hole fo rsuspension. One drilled hole is split and cracked.

  • Place
    Fiji
  • Accession Number
    1925.146
  • Accession Date
    06 Mar 1925
  • Other Id

    14160 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol,… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14160, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply

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