Te katau te tumara

Te katau te tumara. Waist ornament of poliuices shells. This katau (waist ornament) is made with te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) and te tumara (poliuices shells). A light brown te kora takes the form of a thick plaited braid making up the base of the katau. Te tumara has been positioned individually across the kora. Te tumara are off-white in colour, feature short spires, large belly's and apertures. They are similar in size across the katau. Perforations have been bored through the lip of each tumara. A separate strand of kora has been threaded through the perforations and then lashed onto the thick braid of kora, covering the aperture of each tumara. The spires point outwards to one direction across the katau. This katau has been left unfastened. The ends feature extensions of kora. Te katau te tumara would be worn across the waist for ruoia dances by women and young girls.

Ingoa Kē

Waist ornament of poliuices shells (English)

Wāhi

Nonouti/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati

Accession Number

1940.3

Rā Tāpiringa

1940

Tohu Tuakiri Kē

25216.3 (ethnology)

Wāhanga

Pacific