Ethnography · 19th century
€ 490
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good. Minor signs of aging and wear. Moister spot visible on the right side but in the margin outside the image. Study the images carefully.
An original historical engraving from G. Alexander Cooke's "Geography," published in 1817. The engraving is titled "View of a Tuppapon or Shed under which the Bodies of the Chiefs of Otaheite are embalmed and preserved after death." It depicts a traditional practice in Otaheite (Tahiti) where the bodies of chiefs were embalmed and preserved post-mortem.
The scene shows a thatched structure or shed, known as a Tuppapon, where the process takes place. There is a person attending to a body inside the shed, and another figure standing outside, suggesting a respectful vigil or guard. The backdrop includes lush tropical vegetation, indicative of the island's environment.
Engravings like this were common in travel literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, serving to document and share the customs and practices of different cultures around the world with a European audience. They played a crucial role in the dissemination of geographical and anthropological knowledge during this era.
