A fine and large Fijian Kava bowl or tanoa
Overall with a very attractive dark brown patina and traces of usage.
Diam. 64 cm
The bowl on four legs was used to make kava, with a 'mask' to the front for decoration, but also to hang the bowl when it was not in use.
Related objects
A large Admirality Islands bowl
Papua New Guinea, 19th century
A large Japanese Arita blue-and-white porcelain VOC dish
Edo period, late 17th century
A large Chinese export porcelain 'Table Bay' or 'Cape of Good Hope' dish
Few bays are so easily recognisable as Table Bay with the flat expance of Table Mountain, and Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head on either side together with signal Hill to the far right, the last two mountains with a Dutch flags on top. At the foot of Table Mountain lies Cape Town, to the left the Castle of Good Hope with the Dutch flag and to the far right the gallows. In the foreground four large ships lie for anchor with furled sails and an array of Dutch flags, with two rowing boats, and closer to the shore four more smaller boats. Three different versions of the Table Bay dish are known, two slightly different depictions in enamel colours and one in encre de Chine. Dishes decorated in the well with scenes of Dutch ships at anchor in Table Bay are rare nevertheless.