Tanoa fai`ava (kava bowl)

This is a tanoa fai`ava, a wooden bowl used in the preparation of a beverage made from the roots of the kava plant. These roots are crushed into a powder-like form and mixed in the bowl with water. Kava or 'ava, as it is known in Samoa, can be served informally, although its most important use is in chiefly meetings and ceremonies.

Manufacture and design
Historically, the manufacture of tanoa was a specialised task and certain villages in Samoa acquired a reputation for producing quality work. Older forms of tanoa fai `ava have four legs, whereas most tanoa fai `ava seen today (like this one) have many legs, which are either round or square in section and usually set very close together. Today, tanoa fai 'ava are made in a range of sizes, big enough to serve large formal gatherings or small enough to be portable and popular with tourists. The elegant form and lines of the bowl make it a popular gift and souvenir. It is one of the most enduring icons of Samoan hospitality and culture.

Significance
This tanoa fai `ava was presented to the New Zealand Governor General Dame Catherine Tizard by the Western Samoa Head of State. The silver plaque reads 'To her Excellency Dame Catherine Tizard, From his Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, 15 July 1993.'