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Overview
This is a tanoa fai'ava, a wooden bowl used in the preparation of a beverage made from the roots of the kava plant. The 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. This tanoa fai'ava was made in the nineteenth century and painted possibly for the tourist trade.
Manufacture and design
Historically, the manufacture of tanoa fai'ava 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's tanoa fai'ava are still made in a range of sizes, big enough to serve large formal gatherings or small enough to be portable and easily carried by tourists. The elegant form and lines of tanoa fai'ava make them a popular gift and souvenir. They are one of the most enduring icons of Samoan hospitality and culture.
Acquistion history
This tanoa was given to Jaffa Solomon in 1875 and was in possession of the Solomon family of Asquith Avenue, Auckland until it was acquired by Te Papa at an auction in 2006.