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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 the tip, and ovoid in cross section. The outer surface of the tabua is highly polished and yellow in colour. Several fine scratches and dents on the tabua's surface. The rim around the base of the tabua is jagged and thin.

    The hollow inner cavity of the tabua is conical in shape and dark brown in colour. A thick fibre cord is looped through a small metal hoop attached to each of the drilled holes for suspension.

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

    14161 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol,… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1925.146, 14161, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 31 Jul 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply

Artefact

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