A large circular wooden kava bowl called a tanoa fai'ava, carved from a single piece of wood of the intsia bijuga tree, with a flat rim with a geometric decoration and an inscription in Samoan. It stands on 24 round sectioned leg and has two protruding sections at the side for hanging when not in use.
These bowls would be used at traditional 'ava (kava) ceremonies in Samoa. They are used for mixing a sedative drink made from the roots of the kava plant, which is crushed to a powder and then mixed with water. Bowls of this type have become important symbols of Samoan hospitality.
Provenance
A Silver Jubilee gift to King George V in 1935. Loaned by King Edward VIII to Stafford Public Library, Art Gallery and Museum for an exhibition of 'Silver Jubilee and Other Gifts Sent to His Majesty King George V' in 1936.
