Te taona n riri

Te taona n riri. Dance girdle. This is a dance girdle made of te ira (pandanus leaves), te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) and te kabaua (money cowry; Cypaea Moneta) shells. Two long strips of ira that make up the entire length of te taona n riri have been woven together with a third strip of te ira. Te kabaua have been threaded onto the waist band of ira with te kora. Each kabaua is white in colour and matte in surface texture. Their convex exteriors have been sliced off to create an almost flat but open cavity area. Te kora has been threaded at one end of the lip part of te kabaua which has then been woven into the waist band. Two rows of te kabaua have been threaded onto te taona n riri. This waist ornament has been left fastened. Te taona n riri would be worn across the waist, atop te riri (skirt) and below another waist ornament made of te nana (coconut shell discs). Te taona n riri can be made with a range of shells. These style of ornaments would be fashioned by women and worn for dance ceremonies.

Other Name

Dance girdle (English)

Place

Nonouti/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati

Accession Number

1940.3

Accession Date

1940

Other Id

25136.1 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific