1884.87.78

Collection type

Object

Description

Barkcloth headgear.

Geographical reference

Fiji

Oceania > Melanesia > Fiji

Matuku

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Henry Mangles Denham

Field collector HMS Herald

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1855

Date collected

1855

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Bark Cloth Textile Plant, Material Pigment, Process Beaten

Dimensions

Width 740 mm, Length 5680 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.87.78

Research and responses

For an account of the 1852-1861 voyage of the Herald, see The Voyage of HMS Herald to Australia and the South-west Pacific under the Command of Captain Henry Mangles Denham, by Andrew David (Melbourne: The Miegunyah Press (Melbourne University Press), 1995). [AP 27/4/2001; JC 21 8 2010]

An announcement in the 'Sales by Auction' section of The Times (no. 27,942, Thursday 5 May 1874, p. 16, col. a) of the sale of Admiral Denham's 'ethnographic' collection reads: 'The Collection of Natural History Specimens and Native Weapons, &c., of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Denham, formed during the voyage of H.M.S. Herald. Mr J. C. STEVENS will SELL by AUCTION, at his great Rooms, 33, King-street, Covent-garden, W.C., on Friday, March 6th at half-past 12 precisely, the MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS and NATIVE WEAPONS and ORNAMENTS, collected by Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Denham in the South Sea Islands, consisting of rare birds, shells, minerals, insects, &c., carved wood spears, clubs, bowls, ivory ornaments, musical instruments, native dresses, &c. Also some stuffed birds in cases, heads and horns, minerals and fossils, &c. On view the morning of sale, and catalogues had.' [JC 21 10 2014]

Search terms: Clothing Headgear, Barkcloth, Status, Headdress