Fijian Chief's ‘Yaqona’ or Kava Bowl

Period: 1800-1900

Origin: Fiji

Medium: Wood

Literature: Kava is a ritual drink made from an infusion of grated, chewed or pounded dried roots of Piper Methysticum, a species of pepper plant. It is a preparation drunk on many Pacific Islands and the drinking of Yaqona as it is called on Fiji continues to be one of the most significant ceremonies performed in Fijian society.
The wooden bowls are called ‘Tanoa’ and the older ones, such as this example, are thin walled with a shallow bowl and a carved lip that flares outward in a graceful curve.