What is a kava bowl called in Fiji?

A kava bowl in Fiji is called a tanoa. The tanoa sits at the centre of many social events across Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and parts of Vanuatu. A traditional tanoa often has four short legs, a wide rim, and a polished wooden surface made from native hardwood such as vesi and some old bowls from the 1800s reached museum collections in London, Sydney, and Auckland after British traders visited the Pacific. A large ceremonial tanoa could measure more than 90 centimetres across and hold enough kava drink for over 40 people. Chiefs once used whale teeth, known as tabua, during formal kava gatherings beside the tanoa. Modern makers still carve bowls by hand with chisels and fire-hardened tools in rural villages. Fiji exported thousands of hand-carved bowls during the tourism boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Antique dealers often value old tanoa bowls at €500 to €5,000, based on age, wood grain, and carving marks.