Te faoga

Te faoga. Fishing tackle box. People from Nanumea refer to these as faoga. They are also called tuluma in other islands of Tuvalu. Faoga are used by fishermen to store their hooks and fishing tools. Larger faoga can also be used in the home as storage boxes. This example of a faoga is small in size but typical in construction, being carved from a single block of wood (possibly kanava, Cordia subcordata) and is oval in shape. The faoga is brown in colour. The pono (lid) is separate, carved of the same material and is designed to tightly fit the faoga. Lugs are carved on either side of the faoga, as well as on top of the lid. Each lug has a drilled hole through their centre, through which kolokolo (2-ply coconut sennit cordage) is threaded. The kolokolo is threaded in such as way as to tighten or loosen according to the need to secure the lid to the base. The tight fitting lid, kolokolo, as well as the natural buoyancy of the faoga ensures its contents stay safe and dry should it fall into the water. Often, kilifai (stingray skin) would be used to smooth the surfaces.