Kali

Three-legged kali (headrest) made of wood carved in imitation of bamboo. One leg is a curved extension of the stalk, the other two legs are formed of a curved piece of wood tied onto the main piece with coconut fibre cord.

Headrests were used in the Society Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji primarily as pillows. The head was regarded as sacred and should not be allowed to touch the ground. Headrests also kept the head cool on warm nights. This example was collected on Samoa by the missionary John Williams (1769-1839) in 1832. It is in a Fijian style, however, helping to show the extent to which headrests were traded and gifted within the Pacific. Within Fiji they were usually given as marriage gifts by the woman's side as proof of their ability to establish a successful household.

Object Details

ID: ZBA5510
Collection: World Cultures
Type: Kali
Display location: Display - Pacific Encounters Gallery
Date made: Before 1832
People: Williams, John
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 180 mm x 760 mm x 230 mm
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