God house (bure kalou)

Early 19th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Designed to be portable, small shrines such as this one were modeled on lifesize temples. Vast quantities of the finest grade coconut fiber cord (magimagi) were used for the elaborate, labor-intensive construction of this god house. Dozens of small white shell disks refer to the egg cowrie shells (buli dina) that decorated full-size temples and were signifiers of godly presence as well as chiefly authority and power. This is the earliest known god house collected in Fiji.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

References

Title: God house (bure kalou)
Date: Early 19th century
Geography: Fiji
Medium: Coconut fiber, wood, reed, shell
Dimensions: H. 44 1/8 × W. 25 × D. 21 in. (112 × 63.5 × 53.3 cm)
Classifications: Basketry-Sculpture, Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, Gift of Joseph Winn Jr., 1835
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing