The Natche, a ceremony in honour of the King's son, in Tongataboo
J Hall1784
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
This engraving depicts a ceremony called Natche (inasi) on the island of Tongataboo (Tongatapu) in the Friendly Islands (Tonga) during James Cook's third Pacific voyage in July 1777. John Webber's surviving original drawing is a landscape only with no figures. It is likely he supervised their inclusion by J Hall in the engraving.
The British Admiralty appointed John Webber as the artist on Captain James Cook's third expedition (1776-1780). The engraving is part of a series of 78 plates, based on some of Webber's many drawings from the voyage, by various engravers. They were first printed as part of an Atlas volume accompanying the journals of the expedition commanders, titled A voyage to the Pacific Ocean, undertaken, by the command of His Majesty, for making discoveries in the northern hemisphere, etc.
The engravings were made, with Webber's assistance, from his original sketches and watercolours, and subjects include Indigenous people, artefacts and views from the Pacific Islands, North America, Alaska and Siberia.
- Title: The Natche, a ceremony in honour of the King's son, in Tongataboo
- Creator: J Hall
- Date: 1784
- Location: London
- Type: Print
- Significance: The publication of Webber's images as engravings reflects the late eighteenth century widespread popular interest in James Cook, his voyages of exploration and the peoples and landscapes of the Pacific Islands. It was during this voyage that Cook was killed at Hawaii in 1779. Webber's numerous paintings and drawings are the most comprehensive visual record of any of Cook's voyages. Many of his unfinished paintings were chosen for engraving. Some original images have been lost and only the engravings survive. The subject material is an important historical record of eighteenth century Pacific explorers, Indigenous people, artifacts and landscapes.
- See institution's online collections: http://www.anmm.gov.au/collections
- Medium: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 490 x 655 mm
- Credit line: ANMM Collection
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