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Te katau

human history
  • Other Name

    Waist ornament of coconut shell and conus shell (English)

  • Description

    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.

  • Place
    Ocean Island/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati
  • Accession Number
    1940.90
  • Accession Date
    1940
  • Other Id

    25472 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Te katau; 1940.90; 25472; Cultural Permissions Apply

Images and documents

Images

  • Te katau; 1940.90; 25472; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te katau; 1940.90; 25472; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te katau; 1940.90; 25472; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te katau; 1940.90; 25472; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Ornament

Artefact

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