The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
Tabua

Sperm whale teeth (Physeter macrocephalus) are still one of the most valuable gifts today. These gifts, known as tabua, are presented at marriage ceremonies, mourning ceremonies, apologies for offences, but also at important 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.

This content was machine-translated
Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
Show only fields containing data

Cataloguing data

Object type
Potted whale tooth as a gift
Dimensions
Gewicht: 564 g
Objektmaß: 33,4 x 8 x 8 cm
Material/Technique
Tooth (sperm whale), Plant fibre (coconut), Plant fibre
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
VI 49569

Provenance and sources

when
before 1968
where
Polynesia [Großregion]
Fiji [Land]

who
G. Kühn - Former Possessors

Description
Purchase from G. Kühn 1968

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
This content was machine-translated
2.1.1 / 7.1.1