Apu (coconut shell cup)

item details

NameApu (coconut shell cup)

ProductionMartin Martinson; maker/artist; 2004; Hawaii

Classificationcoconut cups

Materialsplant fibre, coconut, shell (plant material)

DimensionsApproximate: 177mm (width), 70mm (height), 138mm (length)

Registration NumberFE012711/1

Credit lineGift of Ka hale mua o Maui loa, 2004

Overview

This is an apu (coconut cup) from Hawai'i that was made for serving a beverage made from the kava plant. This refreshing drink is popular in several islands of the Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. In Hawai'i, the kava root is crushed into a powder-like form and mixed in a larger bowl with water.

Kava in Hawai'i

Historically, kava, or 'awa as it is known in Hawai'i was used for medicinal purposes, and it was served during religious rites and ceremonies. It is mentioned in prayers and chants collected in the 1800s where chiefs and priests "…. used it as a token of hospitality, a drink for sociability, a token of rank and a drink of pleasure"(Titcomb 1948:167). Today, it can be served informally, although its most important use is still in chiefly meetings and ceremonies.

Materials

This apu is made from a small coconut shell cut lengthwise in half and sanded smooth. Two eyes of the coconut remain just below the cups rim and are perforated and threaded with a fine twisted length of cordage that has been tied off. The apu rests on a circular collar made from twisted vines.

Significance

This apu is one of two presented to Te Papa in May 2004 during a visit by members of Hale mua o Maui loa, from Hawai'i (Tengan 2008:207-209). The hale mua (men’s house) visited Te Papa to view and hold an ‘awa (kava) ceremony in the presence an ‘ahu ‘ula (feather cloak), and ‘aumakua hulu manu (a feathered god figure) in the Pacific Cultures collection. The ‘awa ceremony would pay homage to these objects and their genealogies (Tengan 2008:203). The ‘ahu ‘ula is of special significance. It was once presented to English explorer Captain James Cook by Chief Kalaniopu’u the reigning monarch on Hawai'i in the late 1700s.

Acquisition History

This apu was made and donated to Te Papa by Martin Wohi Martinson. He is a descendent of the chief Kalaniopu`u from his mother's mo`oku`auhau (family tree/whakapapa). His great, great grandmother, Holoahina, comes from Ho`onaunau, Kona, Hawai`i.

References

Tengan, Ty P. Kawika 2008 Native Men Remade: Gender and Nation in Contemporary Hawai'i. Durham: Duke University Press

Titcomb, Margaret 1948 Kava in Hawaii The Journal of the Polynesian Society. Volume 57, No. 2 pages 105-171