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Civavonovono (breastplate)

Object | Part of Pacific Cultures collection

OL002088; Civavonovono (breastplate); 1800s; Fijian; Unknown ; view 1
OL002088; Civavonovono (breastplate); 1800s; Fijian; Unknown ; view 2
OL002088; Civavonovono (breastplate); 1800s; Fijian; Unknown ; view 3
OL002088; Breast plate (Civavonovono); 1800s ?; unknown
This image has a rights statement of CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

item details

NameCivavonovono (breastplate)
ProductionUnknown; 1800s; Fiji
Classificationbreastplates
Materialsivory, shell (animal material), plant fibre, tapa
Materials SummarySea mammal ivory, pearl shell, plant fibre, tapa
DimensionsApproximate: 205mm (width), 210mm (length)
Registration NumberOL002088
Credit lineOldman Collection. Gift of the New Zealand Government, 1992

Overview

Influences and ancestors: Pacific breastplates

Samoan and Tongan craftsmen made civavonovono (breastplates) for Fijian chiefs. They bound pearl shell and whale teeth together using the same techniques they had mastered in canoe-building. Pearl shell was a rare and highly regarded material.

Alan Preston and other contemporary jewellers have been strongly influenced by Pacific breastplates.