Te katau

human history

Te katau. Waist ornament. Ornamental girdle. This is a girdle made to be worn around the waist by women. It is made of te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage), te nana (coconut shell) and te nouo (cone shell; conus). The kora is mid brown in colour and has been used to thread a series of small circular discs of te nana. A section of the threaded dark brown te nana has been divided by two off-white circular discs of te nouo creating an alternating pattern across the length of te katau. The discs vary in circumference and matte in surface texture. A small circular perforation has been drilled into the centre of the discs where the kora has been threaded through. It has been fastened in one place and left with a short selvege of te kora. It is very long in length.

Accession number: 1940.90 Last Update: 30 Nov 2018
Other Name

Waist ornament of coconut shell and conus shell (English)

Accession Number

1940.90

Accession Date

1940

Other Id

25472 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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