Fine Tongan Vava’U Island Carved Hardwood Headrest ‘Kali Laloni’
A Fine Tongan Vava’U Island Carved Hardwood Headrest ‘Kali Laloni’ of Classic Form
19th Century
Size: 14cm high, 44cm wide - 5½ ins high, 17¼ ins wide
19th Century
Size: 14cm high, 44cm wide - 5½ ins high, 17¼ ins wide
Tongan headrests protected hairstyles and prevented the head, the seat of an individual’s spiritual force or ‘mana’ from touching the ground and thereby being defiled. Their traditional significance was not just limited to their value as a highly desirable personal possession, they were also used as important bartering objects in ceremonial exchanges.
Fine Tongan Vava’U Island Carved Hardwood Headrest ‘Kali Laloni’
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