Kava kumete = Tongan kava bowl.
Material type:
ObjectManufacturer: [Tonga?] : [between 1970-1979?]Description: 1 bowl : wood ; 15 cm x 48.5 cmContent type: - three-dimensional form
- unmediated
- object
- Tongan kava bowl [Parallel title]
| Item type | Current library | URL | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Objects - crm
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TNU, Faculty of Education, Arts and Humanities On display | Link to resource | Not for loan |
Title devised by cataloguer.
Height 15 cm x length 48.5 cm.
The wooden kava kumete was carved from a single piece of black wood, probably from the toa tree, Casuarina equisetifolia, It has a wide, smooth rim and four legs. The rim has mother-of-pearl inlay and intricate craving. The kava is made in the kumete from the dried roots of the Piper methysticum mixed with water. It is then strained for drinking. The drink is consumed both in ceremonial and recreational contexts. Kava ceremonies play an integral part in Tongan society. They range from informal faikava to the formal taumafa kava.
Boissonnas, Valentin. "Beyond the Rim: A Comparative Study of Kava Bowls from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji." Journal of the Polynesian Society, v.123:no.4 (2014).
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