Overview
A tanoa fai‘ava (kava bowl) is used in the preparation of a drink made by mixing powdered roots of the kava (‘ava) plant with water. But this tanoa, with its painted decoration, was probably intended for the early tourist market, as a gift or display piece.
A changing style
The oldest Samoan tanoa fai‘ava had four legs and a flat rim, features that distinguished them from their Fijian and Tongan counterparts. Eventually the four legs were replaced by many legs, either round or square and usually set close together. In the late 1920s, Samoans considered this style very modern, and they made bowls with many legs for tourists, charging by the leg! Over time these bowls became the standard style, both for local use and for sale to visitors.
Now inexpensive and durable containers made of enamel and plastic have largely replaced wooden bowls. But tanoa fai’ava are still made, as part of the flourishing tourist arts industry in Samoa. Some are big enough to serve large formal gatherings, others are small enough to fit in a tourist’s luggage. The shape hasn’t changed, but the appearance has. Many are blackened, and decorated with lines and patterns cut through the black surface into the natural wood. This was a style of decoration used in the early 1900s, although at that time the engravings were filled with white powdery coral lime.
The significance of ‘ava
The importance of the tanoa fai‘ava lies not only in its shape and fine carving. Equally important are the ritual preparation of the ‘ava drink and its serving from the tanoa fai’ava during formal occasions.
This tanoa was part of a collection of Pacific artefacts belonging to the Solomon family of Auckland. Te Papa acquired some items from the collection when it was sold at auction in 2007.
Text originally published in Tai Awatea, Te Papa's onfloor multimedia database (2007)