Fangufangu (nose flute)

Tongan fangufangu (nose flutes) are beautifully crafted musical instruments. Historically, they were used to awaken the Tongan royalty from their sleep. Made from bamboo, they have intact nodes at each end, forming a sealed cylinder. However, they also document important moments in Tonga’s history. Te Papa has three fangufangu dating from the 1800s. Etched on each fangufangu are images, words and names that tell us a story.

Construction

This fangufangu has five holes along its length and two holes around the mid-centre area. There are intact nodes at each end of the bamboo forming a sealed cylinder, one end is visibly cracked. It is decorated with pyrograved images across its length.

Documenting history

This fangufangu has the name Sione Latu inscribed on it. It gives the location as Tuanuku, Vava’u, the former is a coastal village in the Vava’u group of islands.  The words "Vavau", "Tuanuku", "Kaifakatauta Nae tok & Kalokotuanku?" and letters "M" and "P" are also burned onto the surface. There are pictures of 15 birds, 12 ships and two human figures. This fangufangu, possibly records the coming and going of European ships in the harbour area in the 1800s.

Original source: Safua Akeli (2012) Documenting history on Tongan fangufangu https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2012/09/07/documenting-history-on-tongan-fangufangu/

For more on Tonga fangufangu see:

Mahina, ‘Okusitino 1984 Observations of a Tongan Nose-flute (fangufangu).Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum 21 (1): 33-36.