Taona n riri

Taona n riri. Waist ornament. This is a waist ornament made from te burerewa (money cowrie; monetaria moneta), te kabaua (cowry shell; cypraea), te ira (pandanus leaf), wool yarn and a length of reddish dyed fibre. A belt woven with te ira has been made to form the base of the belt. It has been finished with a serrated edge. A long strip of natural fibre, transparent in material portraying a discoloured red pigment has been positioned horizontally across the centre of the woven belt base. One end of te katau features a single te kabaua which has been fastened down to the belt with an off-white coloured yarn. It features a flat base that has been lashed down to the belt with yarn. Its surface is bulbous in form and features a mid-brown colour near its base and a dappled brown and white centre. The exterior has been polished. A second one of this type has been lashed to the centre of the belt dividing two series of te burerewa across te katau. Te burerewa are similar in size and smaller in comparison to te kabaua. They portray a yellowish transparency over a base exterior that is off-white and slightly grey in colour. Their centres are slightly bulbous in form with small protrusions surround the flat base area. A basting stitch that has been used to attach all the shells can be seen from the reverse of the woven belt base. These would be worn only by women or young girls. They would be positioned across the waist above te riri (skirt) and below a waist ornament of te nana (coconut shell) discs.