A Fine Old Fijian Turtle Form Kava Bowl Lau Islands Fiji Polynesia
Collection No. | SOLD but see lots more Fine Oceanic & Aboriginal Art on my website |
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Size | 51cm x 32cm |
A Fine Old Fijian Turtle Form Kava Bowl Lau Islands Fiji Polynesia
This elegant Turtle form Kava Bowl is known as darivonu, which was used for the consumption of kava, or yaqona. Carved from a single piece of hardwood the head looks just like a green Sea Turtle with the front & back flippers of the turtle made up of the rim of the bowl, the bowl is supported by four rounded legs.
This bowl was used for the mixing of Kava Root the psychoactive beverage made from the stems and roots of the pepper bush Piper Methysticum and mixed with water.
In the past, most Polynesian societies were governed by hereditary chiefs, and chiefs remain highly influential in many Polynesian cultures today. Often, they are believed to be more directly descended from the gods than commoners, who constitute the majority of the population. Chiefs hold, or held, both sacred and secular authority. Many of Polynesia’s most refined decorative art forms were dedicated to marking the status and enriching the lives of chiefs. These include a diversity of jewellery, garments, weapons, and personal accessories. In many areas, necklaces or chest ornaments made from ivory or other precious materials served as insignia of chiefly rank. Almost all of the important objects had individual names and histories. Passed down as heirlooms, many were, and still are, regarded as living entities, infused with the supernatural power (mana) of the generations of ancestors who have owned them.
\Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Polynesian Oceanic Art
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