net-float
- Museum number
- Oc1944,02.1332
- Description
-
Net-float of wood in form of bird surmounted by fish, with cone shell inlay.
- Production date
- 19thC (late)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 57.50 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Beasley register reads: This was the TINDALO emblem of the people of FERA-SI-BOA, a fishing tribe of N. Mala and was presented to the Rev. A. I. Hopkins of the Melanesian Mission by Chief KAILAFA in 1905. It was preserved in the Chief's canoe house, suspended over the altar, and when presented was black with soot. The Rev. Hopkins said that the culture of these people was not very high and that this piece was probably the product of another locality.
Information from Pierre Maranda 1987, from research in Lau: Floats like this are made in Lau. It is in the form of a seagull, a decorated form of a normal plain net float, and is called 'bird of the net' (manu ana furai). It is tied to the head of a furai gigilo'a fishing net made of coconut fibre, which is used only once as part of the ancestral festival (maoma) cycle, after which net and float are hung up in the priest's sanctum house (beu).
See: Arthur Hopkins Autobiography from Church of Melanesia Archive (p.30 of copy in AOA); Ivens (1930) 'Island Builders of the Pacific' pp.64-65 for biography of original owner Kaialafa of Ferasubua, who was over 70 in 1900. See also Edge-Partington Pacific Album Vol.2 p.234 for a similar object from Makira Bay.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2019 20th Jun-1st Sep, London, BM, G3, Collecting Histories: Solomon Islands
- Acquisition date
- 1944
- Acquisition notes
- Beasley catalogue reads, for 5 artefacts acquired in 1931: Bought:-Rev. A.I Hopkins. Melanesian Mission. The Parsonage, Lowfield [?] Heath. Crawley. Sussex
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc1944,02.1332
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: 2920 (Beasley catalogue)
