ART on View 94 FIG. 5: Presentation whale’s tooth, tabua. Collected in Fiji. Whale’s tooth attached to a cord of plaited and looped coir with pandanus leaf strips. W: 20 cm (without cord). Collected by Anatole von Hügel 1875–1877. Photo: Jocelyne Dudding. © MAA Z 3023. icent example, which originally belonged to Tanoa Visawaqa, the Vunivalu (war chief) of the powerful Fijian chiefdom of Bau (fig. 8). Tanoa was sketched wearing the breastplate in 1840 by Alfred Agate, a member of the Wilkes United States Exploring Expedition (Clunie 1983). It is likely that the breastplate was passed to Tanoa’s son, Cakobau, who became the self-proclaimed Tui Viti (king of Fiji) in 1871, before being presented to Gordon. Another exceptional, probably unique, ornament is a remarkable whale ivory necklace with eight humanshaped figures interspersed with nine pendants (fig. 9). The exact provenance is unknown, but the unusual composition and the weight of the ivory suggest that this was an exceedingly prized object. The central figure, slightly larger and more rounded than the others, is wearing a band across its forehead, perhaps referencing the headbands worn by priests and chiefs, decorated with the red feathers of the kula bird. While singular objects in Gordon’s collection are outstanding, the size and breadth of the collections assembled at Government House, in particular the well-documented material collected by von Hügel during his trips into the interior of Viti Levu (Roth and Hooper 1990), provide an invaluable resource for anthropological and art historical research. Chiefs & Governors includes an installation that evokes the atmosphere of the dining room at Government House, the walls decorated with some of the Fijian objects collected by the residents of the governor’s household (fig. 10). Other objects on display include a selection of finely carved spears with intricate bindings, a range of yaqona bowls, and a chiefly skirt (liku) crafted from dyed hibiscus fibers (fig. 11). A collector’s case near the end of the exhibition contains a typological arrangement of a small selection of MAA’s baskets, headrests, priest’s dishes, and pottery (fig. 12). Overall, the exhibition is organized in overlapping thematic zones, with an underlying chronological narrative— from the eighteenth-century movements of Islanders within Western Polynesia through European and demand offerings. Following the rise of Christianity, the goddess figure was buried under a post in the spirit house. In 1876 it was acquired by Ratu Tevita Madigibuli, a member of the Armed Native Constabulary, who presented it to Governor Gordon. This figure was highly prized by Gordon and kept in the family’s possession until 1955, when it was donated to MAA. The proliferation and range of presentation items and exquisite ornaments made from whale ivory demonstrated the mana of Fijian chiefs and their ability to obtain highly valued materials as well as control the production of specialist craftsmen. Fijians did not hunt whales, so local supplies were limited to the occasional beached whale, supplemented by exchange with Tonga and, from the early 1800s, American and European traders. Tabua, a presentation whale’s tooth, typically attached to a coir or pandanus cord, continues to be the most important Fijian valuable (Hooper 2013 a, b). Historically, the tooth was scraped and often fashioned into a crescent shape before being oiled and smoked (fig. 5). Whale teeth necklaces were highly desired items throughout Western Polynesia. Stylistically they range from slightly modified teeth attached to a fibrous cord (sisi), to necklaces composed of numerous split and carved teeth (waseisei), with significant variations in their size and curvature (fig. 6). Samoan and Tongan canoe builders and carpenters settled in various coastal regions in eastern Fiji, where they worked for local chiefs. Their skills were adapted to the production of chiefly regalia fashioned from whale ivory (Hooper 2006: 242). New forms of composite breastplates were developed during the early nineteenth century. Some, known as civatabua, were made of plates of finely sanded whale tooth, carefully fitted together using a sophisticated planking technique (fig. 7). An intricate system of tiny oblique and paired holes enabled the ivory plates to be tightly bound together with extremely fine stitching that was often invisible from the front. Breastplates were further elaborated by combining plates of ivory and pearl shell (civavonovono). Gordon’s collection includes a magnif
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