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Kava Bowl (Dave Ni Yaqona), mid to late 20th Century
Fiji, Melanesia
Wood, rope and shell; 8 …
Yaqona Bowl (Dave Ni Yaqona)
Kava Bowl (Dave Ni Yaqona), mid to late 20th Century
Fiji, Melanesia
Wood, rope and shell; 8 …
Kava Bowl (Dave Ni Yaqona), mid to late 20th Century Fiji, Melanesia Wood, rope and shell; 8 1/4 × 21 5/8 × 21 1/4 in. 2018.13.6 Gift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Yaqona Bowl (Dave Ni Yaqona)

ClassificationsFurnishings-Serviceware-bowls
Datemid to late 20th Century
Made AtFiji
MediumWood, fiber and shell
Dimensions8 1/4 × 21 5/8 × 21 1/4 in. (21 × 54.9 × 54 cm)
Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih
Object number2018.13.6
DescriptionThis is a tanoa, a wooden bowl for mixing yaqona (Fijian vernacular for Kava), a drink made from the root of a pepper tree. There are two bowls related to this ceremony: the bowl in which the drink is made, the tanoa, and a smaller bowl in which the drink is served. Bowls are commonly used in Fijian culture for food preparation. Before these wooden bowls, the yaqona was made in ceramic bowls or in a plantain leaf placed in a hole in the ground. Bowls such as this one were for most anyone, but uniquely shaped bowls were specifically used by priests. The rope is used to suspend the bowl on the wall for storage. Sometimes, as we see here, a shell is attached to the cord as well.
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