Kava bowl
Fiji Islands
Wood, fiber
PM# 98-8-70/51724

Throughout most of Polynesia, kava is the universal medium of hospitality. The drink is processed from a kind of pepper root (ava), which is dried, crushed, and soaked in water. Kava, the liquid residu of this mixture, is mildly intoxicating, and consumed as a ritual drink in order to confirm the status of high-ranking people. This round wooden bowl, with four legs and a suspension cord attached, is a basic form of Polynesian kava bowls.

 

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Photography by Hillel Burger
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