[singlepic id=178 w=250 h=450 float=none]Whale ivory figure
Ivory figures, originating in Tonga or produced by Tongans in Fiji, were venerated as ancestor gods and kept in the shrines of Fijian spirit houses. Captain Cook collected a similar example in Tonga in the 1770s.
Probably from Tonga. Acquired by L. Clarke from H. Beck, 1925. 1925.336
Exchange within Western Polynesia
There is a long history of exchange within Western Polynesia, motivated and maintained by complex social relations that developed between groups in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Pacific Islander visitors to Fiji brought distinctive objects, materials, skills, practices and beliefs.