Tauu

Tauu. Trumpet shell. The tauu 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. The aperture of the shell features a forced cavity. 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. Its is dappled in a dark brown colour with a neutral off-white colour in between. The aperture is off-pink in colour. 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). Its forced cavity provides more room for holding awa ba.

Ingoa Kē

Shell receptacle (English)

Wāhi

Beru/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati

Accession Number

1936.295

Rā Tāpiringa

1936

Tohu Tuakiri Kē

24118.1 (ethnology)

79 (Maude Collection)

Wāhanga

Pacific