Browse Items (802 total)

Carved wooden lime spatula, decorated with female figure with glass beads (red), and shell beads (red). Hunt(1981): 'Betel chewing is practised widely in Melanesia. The betal mixture consists of nut of the areca palm, fruit or leaves of the betel…

Wooden folding ruler (with brass hinge) adapted for use as a betel-lime spatula

Made from whale teeth (32 spikes) strung together with plaited vegetable fibre.

Made from carved whale teeth (38 spikes) strung together with plaited vegetable fibre.

Fork, in dark brown wood, with 4 tines and relief decoration of impressed triangles.

Fork, 4 tines, in light brown wood, relief decoration of impressed triangles.

Breast plate made of trochus shell and sections of teeth of sperm whale, with cord of strips of coloured cotton for suspension. Structure: boss in shell edged with ivory (4 pieces & serrated), with central oranment (ivory & lunate), coloured cloth…

Breast Plates. These two objects, each known as a civa vono vono in Fiji, was worn on ceremonial occasions as a sign of rank. No 3 is made of trochus shell, sperm whale tooth and cotton. Cotton was not grown in Fiji and would have been imported from…

Carved ivory pendant, in the form of two human figures, back to back, with a double hook below. Given to Macgregor in Namosi, a village in Viti Levu, Fiji and described by him as a 'Rat-safe' (see Museum's 'Slip Catalogue). Hunt (1981):…

Neck ornament made from sperm whale tooth and twisted cord for suspension. Inscription: Incised: MVIKE