Fine Tongan Vava’U Island Carved Hardwood Headrest ‘Kali Laloni’

Period: 1800-1900

Origin: Tonga

Medium: Wood, fibre

Literature: 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.