Fijian tabua
Object No. 2006/21/9
This Fijian tabua or neck ornament is made from the tooth of a sperm whale and is part of a collection of personal and ceremonial objects from Tibet, Nepal, Fiji and southern Africa that was assembled over many years of travelling by the donor and her husband. Traditionally in Fiji, tabua (pronounced tambua), made from teeth from the upper jaw of a sperm whale, are regarded as perhaps the most important cultural items in Fijian society. They were given as gifts for atonement or as a token of esteem (called sevusevu) and were important in negotiations between rival chiefs (ratu). Acceptance of a tooth presented to him bound a chief to accede to the request made with the tooth, such as a desired course of action. Tabua were also made as presentations in marriage, while dead men would be buried with their tabua, along with war clubs, to help them in the afterlife. The tabua remains an important icon in Fijian culture, featured on the Fijian 20 cent piece and in numerous advertising campaigns. This tabua is inscribed 'RATU OALO' which may be translated as Chief Oala, and may refer to the recipient or owner of the item. Originally tabua were very rare items, as the teeth were available only from beached whales or from trade with neighbouring Tonga, where the practice may have originated. When the practice became more widely known in the early 1800s thousands of fake teeth made from ivory and walrus tusks came on the market; mass production led to the development of the European art of scrimshaw.
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Summary
Object Statement
Tabua (ceremonial whale tooth), sperm whale tooth / coconut fibre, maker unknown, Fiji, c. 1900
Physical Description
The tabua (pronounced tambua) is a heavy neck ornament comprising a large sperm whale tooth on a long platted rope (sinnet) of coconut fibres. The tooth is pierced at each end for securing the sinnet, with coconut fibres at the sharp end and cotton twine at the wide end. On one side of the tooth is an inscription that reads 'RATUOALO' with a cross-hatched patch above it. The initials 'MA' are inscribed on the other side in smaller script.
DIMENSIONS
Width
80 mm
Depth
50 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The tooth is dense and heavy and partially hollowed out at the wide or 'gum' end. The tooth has been well polished and neatly drilled across the pointed end to provide an anchor point through which to pass the coconut thread for making the four-element plaited sinnet. At the wide end, another hole has been drilled for the attachment of the sinnet, which has been square plaited with four strands of coconut fibre. The inscription 'RATU OALO' may have been done by two different people, as 'RATU' is considerably neater than 'OALO'. This suggests that RATU, which means chief may have been inscribed by a professional, or by the donor, and OALO by the recipient. Originally tabua were very rare items, as the teeth were available only from beached whales or from trade with neighbouring Tonga, where the practice may have originated. When the practice became more widely known in the early 1800s thousands of fake teeth were made from ivory.
HISTORY
Notes
This Fijian tabua is from a collection of personal and ceremonial objects from Tibet, Nepal, Fiji and southern Africa that was assembled over many years of travelling by the donor and her husband. The collection also includes an earring and carrying case, dagger, snuff horn, skull cup, travelling shrine and fur-trimmed hat from Tibet; puppet and wedding necklace from Nepal; and two beaded neck ornaments from the Kalahari Bushmen of southern Africa. The tabua is inscribed 'RATU OALO' which may be translated as Chief Oala, and probably refers to its onetime owner. Traditionally in Fiji, tabua (pronounced tambua), made from teeth from the upper jaw of a sperm whale, are regarded as perhaps the most important cultural items in Fijian society. They were given as gifts for atonement or as a token of esteem (called sevusevu) and were important in negotiations between rival chiefs (ratu). Acceptance of a tooth presented to a him bound a chief to accede to the request made with the tooth, such as a desired course of action. Tabua were also made as presentations in marriage, while dead men would be buried with their tabua, along with war clubs, to help them in the afterlife.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Judy Sperling, 2006
Acquisition Date
25 January 2006
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