ID: 700000328 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700000328	Record Type: Movable Work

Tabua (tabua; unknown Fijan; 19th–20th century; Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, ...; 2002.782; )

Note: Tabua, or whale teeth, are used as presentation items that were used to mediate infractions, and also to bind agreements. Tabua were given as gifts during rituals to seal diplomatic alliances and pacts.

Titles:

Tabua (preferred,C,U,RP,English-P,L,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

tabua [300417509] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Furnishings and Equipment (hierarchy name), Costume (hierarchy name), costume (mode of fashion), <costume by function>, ceremonial costume)

Classifications:

Oceanic art (preferred)

ceremonial

Creation Date: 19th–20th century

Creator Display:

unknown Fijan [preferred,VP]

craftsperson unknown Fijian (Fijian cultural designation) Qualifier: attributed to Extent: execution [500203283]

Locations:

Other: Creation: Fiji [7000493] (Geographic)

Current: Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, United States) [500305147] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: 2002.782

Credit Line: Gift of Governor Carlton Skinner and Solange Skinner

Display Materials: Whale's tooth, coconut fiber cord

	ivory (material) [300011857]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by composition>, combination inorganic/organic material, combination inorganic/organic animal material, <bone and bone components materials>, bone (material), <bone by form as material>, <tooth and tooth components as materials>, <tooth components as material>, dentin (material))

	coir [300014056]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by form>, <materials by physical form>, <fiber and fiber by product>, fiber, natural fiber, plant fiber)

Dimensions: Tusk length: 15 cm (5 11/16 in.)

Cultures:

Papua New Guinean (preferred)

Style/Period/Group/Movement:

	Papuan Gulf [300021892] (preferred,N/A)
	.....(Styles and Periods Facet, Styles and Periods (hierarchy name), <styles| periods| and cultures by region>, Oceanic, Melanesian, Papua New Guinean, Papua New Guinea regional styles)

General Subject:

ceremonial objects (preferred,isness)

Specific Subjects:

	ritual object [300312158]
	.....(Objects Facet, Object Genres (hierarchy name), object genres (object classifications), <object genres by function>, ceremonial objects) (AAT)

Provenance: About 1960/1961, during a Tabua ritual in Fiji, presented to Governor Carlton Skinner (b. 1913 - d. 2004), Boston; 2002, year-end gift of Carlton Skinner and Solange Skinner to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 22, 2003)

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: decorative and utilitarian works

Sources and Contributors:
Tabua	........ [VP]
	........ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston [online] (2003-)

Subject: ....... [VP]

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Museum of Fine Arts, Boston [online] (2003-)