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tabua

Sperm whale teeth (Physeter macrocephalus) are still one of the most valuable gifts today. These gifts, called tabua, are presented at marriage ceremonies, mourning ceremonies, apologies for offences, but also at state events as a sign of welcome or solidarity. In the past, whale teeth in Fiji were closely associated with divine power and the "chiefs" and were therefore regarded as the embodiment of the divine ancestors.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Potted whale tooth as a gift
Dimensions
Weight: 0,38 kg
Height: 4,5 cm
Width: 20,6 cm
Depth: 21 cm
Material/Technique
Tooth (sperm whale), Plant fibre
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
VI 1141

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    before 1876
    where
    Polynesia
    Fiji
  • Collecting
    who
    Franz Hermann Strauch (1846-04-11 - 1928-08-12) - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    Access unknown, by Franz Hermann Strauch around 1876
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Oceania

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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