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C1785
Poulaho, Roi Des Isles Des Amis.
Artist:
Rare engraving from the French edition of Cook’s voyages. On the 28th, May 1777, as Cook was about to leave Ha’apai, Paulaho came on board ‘and brought me one of their Caps made or at least covered with red feathers. … Read Full Description
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Details
Full Title:
Poulaho, Roi Des Isles Des Amis.
Date:
C1785
Artist:
Condition:
In good condition.
Technique:
Copper engraving.
Image Size:
185mm
x 245mm
Paper Size:
205mm
x 270mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1785
Description:
Rare engraving from the French edition of Cook’s voyages.
On the 28th, May 1777, as Cook was about to leave Ha’apai, Paulaho came
on board ‘and brought me one of their Caps made or at least covered with
red feathers. ..These Caps or rather bonnets are made of the tail
feathers of the Tropic bird with red feathers of the Paroquets worked
upon them or in along with them, they are made so as to tie upon the
forehead without any Crown, and have the form of a Semicircle whose
raids is 18 o9r 21 Inches’. Cook Journals III, i.117.
Cook had described Paulaho as ‘the corperate plump fellow we had met with’.
‘About
Noon a large sailing Canoe came under our Stern in which the Indians on
board told us was Fattafee Polaho [Fatafehi Paulaho] King of all the
Isles. He brought with him as a present to me two good fat hogs, though
not so fat as himself, for he was the most corperate plump fellow we had
met with. I found him to be a Sedate sensible man… I asked him down
into the Cabbin, some of his attendants objected to this, saying if he
went there people would walk over his head and this was never done. I
desired Omai to till them I would remove that objection by giving orders
that no one should walk on that part of the deck’ but the chief ‘waved
the ceremony and walked down with me without any more to do.’
John Webber (1752 - 1793)
John Webber was an 18th century artist, best known for his work as the official artist on Captain James Cook's third and final voyage to the Pacific in 1776-1780. He was born in London, England in 1751 and was trained as an artist. Webber accompanied Cook on his voyage as the official artist, tasked with creating drawings and paintings of the places and people they encountered. He produced many illustrations and sketches that were used to make engravings for inclusion in the official account of the voyage, published after Cook's death. Webber was required to "give a more perfect idea thereof than can be formed by written description." Webber's illustrations and engravings of the Pacific islands and their inhabitants are considered some of the most accurate and detailed depictions of the region from that time. They provide an important record of the places and people encountered by Cook and his crew, and are valuable for understanding the culture and daily life of the people of the Pacific during the 18th century. He died in London in 1793, after having returned from the voyage, but his work continues to be recognised as an important historical record of the voyage and of the art of his time. Webber's oeuvre from the voyage was the most comprehensive record of sights in the Pacific region ever produced.
