Vase

This is a ceramic vase made in 1983 in the fishing village of Nasilai on one of the arms of the Rewa River in Viti levu, Fiji.

History

Archaeological excavations reveal that pottery has been made in the Fijian archipelago for 3000 years. However, the earliest descriptions of pottery use in Fijian society come from observers in the 1800s. At this time, pottery was made by women throughout Fiji with some regional variations in style. Pots were used for cooking and for storing liquids and food stuffs. They were exchanged between communities for goods and services. They were given as gifts and presented as tribute on ceremonial occasions (Rossitto 1992, 1995).

Cultural revivals

In the post World War II era the use of pots by Fijian village people persisted. However, as Fiji became part of new global economies and markets, the cultural value of pots and pot making changed markedly. By the 1980s, pots were no longer used widely in Fiji village life but were often made primarily for purchase by tourists.

This was the case in Nasilai, where tourism had sparked a revival of pottery making. According to Bernie Kernot, Nasilai had long been a local centre for pottery production. The making of pots ceased about the time of World War II, and revived again around 1963 with the advent of tourists visiting the village. Tourists would book excursions to the village to be fed, entertained and offered pots to purchase (Kernot 1984).

Kernot records that a local hotelier encouraged Nasilai pottery makers to make pots distinctive to their area, asking them to not mix up styles in the way potters had elsewhere. However, as this vase demonstrates, some pottery forms were modified in form to appeal to tourists’ tastes and needs. In 1983, other market outlets for Nasilai pottery included the Government Handicrafts Centre, the Cultural Centre and Marketplace of Fiji at Pacific Harbour (Kernot 1984).

Acquisition History

In 1983, the lead potter in Nasilai was Mrs Taraivini Wati, who led a small group of eight pottery makers, including children. This vase was purchased from the mother of Taraivini Wati. This vase is part of a larger group of items collected by Bernie Kernot in 1983-1984 while on university sabbatical to Tonga, Fiji and Samoa.  At this time, he was also on the executive of the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) and while on this trip he publicised the PAA among Pacific academics and artists. Kernot was a senior lecturer in anthropology and Maori Studies at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand between 1967 and 1996. He published widely on Maori sociology, politics, art and religion.

References

Kernot, Bernie, 1984 Field notes and Fiji Report (unpublished field notes). Te Papa File.

Rossitto, Rosa 1992 Fijian Pottery in a Changing World The Journal of the Polynesian Society Vol.101, No.2 (March) pp 169-90

Rossitto, Rosa 1995 Stylistic Change in Fijian Pottery Pacific Studies Vol.18, No.1 (March) pp 1-45