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A Fine Fijian Chief’s ‘Yaqona’ or Kava Bowl.
Carved of vesi wood with traces of old residue deposits, with old ‘fibre’ tribal repair.
Wood, fibre.
Fiji.
19th Century.
Provenance:
Ex Pitt Rivers collection, Farnham.
Sotheby’s London.
Ex Private collection, Felicity Nicholson.
Ex Forge and Lynch Ltd, London, 2017.
Ex Private London collection.
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 bloom on this kava bowl was achieved by allowing the Yaqona to stand in the bowl and coat the surface. The resulting layer or ‘kani’ could then be scraped off and reused to make a more powerful version of the drink.
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.
Dimensions
Size: 14cm high, 42.5cm dia. - 5½ ins high, 16¾ ins diaThe BADA Standard
- Since 1918, BADA has been the leading association for the antiques and fine art trade
- Members are elected for their knowledge, integrity and quality of stock
- Our clients are protected by BADA’s code of conduct
- Our dealers’ membership is reviewed and renewed annually
- Bada.org is a non-profit site: clients deal directly with members and they pay no hidden fees
