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Tabua

human history
  • Common Name
    Adornment
  • Other Name

    Whale tooth (English)

  • Description

    Tabua. A ceremonial whale's tooth with suspension cord. An iyau (treasure) of high cultural value to Fijians. Sourced from a tovuto (sperm whale), the tabua is semi-circular in shape. It is ovoid in cross section. The outer surface of the tabua is highly polished and a golden yellow colour, possibly enhanced through a smoking technique. Deep brown colour in the grooves in the enamel. There is a large dent in the underside of the tabua.

    "ALAN" scratched into the side of the tabua. The rim around the base of the tabua is jagged and thin. A shallow hollow cavity is deep brown in colour. Suspension cord is dark brown in colour made from box braided magimagi (coconut sennit) and connected to the tabua's drilled holes via small segment of metal wire connecting the cord to the tabua.

  • Place
    Fiji
  • Accession Number
    1945.88
  • Accession Date
    03 Sep 1945
  • Other Id

    27833 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol,… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Tabua, 1945.88, 27833, Photographed by Jennifer Carol, digital, 02 Aug 2017, Cultural Permissions Apply

Artefact

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