Tauu. Shell receptacle. This is a seashell. It is of the Charonia Tritonis type. It has a bulbous mid section, with a point at one end and a large aperture on the opposite end. From its point are a series of sutures that form the whorl. A larger whorl makes up the lower part of its form. Its internal spire has remained whole. Where the lip of the aperture meets towards the end of the shell it furrows in to form a small funnel. Its exterior is made up of a series of small soft and hard ridges. It is dappled in a dark brown colour with a neutral off-white colour in between. The aperture’s exterior is of a deep pink with a polished surface. Te tauu is a receptacle used for containing warmed awa ba (body oil) which is then poured through its funnel into another container such as te binobino (coconut calabash). Most tauu feature a broken cavity inside the aperture to allow more room to hold awa ba, however this one has remained whole.