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.