Dergelijke voedselkommen zijn extreem zeldzaam, vooral met de scarificaties op het gezicht, de paar exemplaren die bekend zijn hebben deze niet en zijn ongedecoreerd op misschien schelpen ogen na (zie Deborah Waite's boeken over de Brenchly en Conru collecties, gebaseerd op de woorden van C.E. Fox, 1924). <BR> <BR> <BR> De zigzag-tekens op het gezicht representeren gezichtsscarificatie die op zowel mannen als vrouwen werd uitgevoerd in Makira en Ulawa, evenals in gebieden rond Guadalcanal. <BR> Mogelijk werd de kom gebruikt tijdens de scarificatieceremonie, of zelfs de huwelijksceremonie voor het bereiden van voedsel uit kokosnoot en taro. Dit is niet met zekerheid te zeggen, ook niet of het jongens of meisjes betrof. <BR> De zigzag zou verwijzen naar de fregatvogel, een vogel die ook onderdeel was van de bonito cultus en een zekere heilige status had (net als andere dieren, zoals de adelaar). Anderzijds worden in Ivens (1927: 85) tekeningen getoond van zigzaglijnen die pad van de slang genoemd worden. <BR> <BR> <BR> De lijnen werden eerst uitgetekend met bamboe en kleurstof, en vervolgens geprikt met een botje van een vleermuis. De persoon die de scarificatie zette, werd betaald met schelpengeld. na het krassen werd een mengsel van gebrande amandelhars met bonte netel (coleus). Het gebruikte mengsel is weer anders op andere locaties. <BR> <BR> <BR> De figuren op het voorhoofd zijn vermoedelijk cowrieschelpen, een populair sieraad voor mannen tijdens ceremoniële aangelegenheden of dansen. De oren zijn gepierct, wat bij kinderen op jonge leeftijd werd gedaan. men droeg ook piercings door de neuspunt en septum. Tanden werden wel gezwart met riviersteen. Haren werden ingesmeerd met lime (calciumoxide) waardoor het rood kleurde.<BR> <BR> <BR> C.M. Woodford rept over de scarificaties, in zijn tekst tatoeages genoemd:<BR> <BR> “These Solomon natives are not so addicted to the practice of tattooing as the lighter coloured Polynesians, probably because the patterns would not show so conspicuously upon their dusky skins. In San Christobal, however, both men and women have frequently the face cut all over with a pattern of chevron-shaped cicatrices. And on Guadalcanal the same practice is in vogue, but the pattern takes the form of small circles, which are traced by a sharpened bone from the wing of the flying fox, and a small bamboo with the edge sharpened. The operation, which is completed at one sitting, is a particularly painful one, and the operator is highly paid for his trouble, tattooing being a profession. While I was at Aola a boy was tattooed who had come twelve miles to secure the services of a native tattooer, a great friend of mine, called Muri Lau. I did not see the actual operation, but he was brought to me next morning to be inspected. He was in a painfully nervous and feverish state, and evidently suffering great pain, while his face was puffed up to a fearful size. He was in charge of the women, who made a place on the edge of the salt water for him to lie down in on his stomach, and scraped a hole in the sand where he could from time to time dip his fevered face in the water, a few branches being stuck in the sand to keep the sun off. In a few days he was quite recovered.” (Woodford 1888: 369-370).<BR> <BR> <BR> Fox schrijft over mannelijke initiatie op Ulawa waarbij het vertelt dat gezichtsscarificatie twee tot drie jaar na de initiatie van een jongen van hogere status in de bonito cultus plaatsvond (waardoor hij vanaf toen op bonito mocht vissen). de scarificatie ceremonie verliep als volgt:<BR> <BR> "After that [the bonitio initiation] the relatives of the boy prepare another feast, planting special gardens for it, for two or three years, and then they make a big feast; this is for the cutting of the boy, Ha’ausu, when he is 12 years old. They make a feast and he is cut (usu), i.e. tattooed. A man who can do this is paid by the boy’s father or grandfather. The cutting begins early in the morning and first of all the operator puts some pulu akalo, sacred gum, on the place, so that he will not feel any pain, they cut the following figures: (1) Hoalite, (2) Talaniwato, (3) Manu, (4) Uwoniusu, (5) Talamata; these are cut on both cheeks, the same on each. After the cutting coco-nut milk is rubbed in, and on the fourth day there is considerable swelling. He first washes his face and then cooks a maratara (?), and mixes it with coco-nut milk, crushing it fine. He puts it on his face, and then after some time, last of all, the nose is pierced.<BR> They now seek a wife for him, and when a girl is chosen some money is given so that she shall not marry anyone else. The girl’s relatives come to get the money, and the boy’s make them a feast, while they on their part bring a pig. On another day the girl’s relatives bring pudding, and there is another feast. The malauhu, boy’s wife, must also have her face cut.” (Fox 1924: 347-349).<BR> <BR> <BR> Ook Ivens suggereert dat scarificeren gedaan werd als jongens en meisjes de huwbare leeftijd hadden bereikt (1927:73).<BR> <BR> <BR> Codrington (1891:237-238) schrijft in het algemeen over Melanesië dat meisjes gescarificeerd werden voor hun huwelijk. Pas als een meisje gezichtsscarificaties had, was ze geschikt om te trouwen. Het betekent dat de tijd is gekomen voor de vader of jonge man met wie ze zal trouwen een betaling moet verrichten: <BR> <BR> “Betrothal comes very early in the life of many Melanesian girls; a man with a son born to him looks out for the birth of a suitable girl to be his son’s wife. This is especially the case with persons of consequence and wealth, and upon this begins the long series of payments and negotiations which come to their end at the marriage. The general character of these transactions may be understood from the ways in which matrimonial affairs are managed in the various islands. The first marriage of the young man many be taken to be in view; wives are added to the first with less to do about it, but not without a good deal of bargaining on the part of the men concerned, and a great deal of business and talking on that of the women. In Florida [Ngella] the girl who has been engaged as an infant, and for whom some payment has been made on the engagement, is tattooed when she comes to the proper age for it. This, uhuuhu, is done by a man whose profession it is to do it, and who receives much money, pigs, and food in the exercise of his art; a feast is made for him and for the company assembled of friends and relations, who help to bear the expense. The pattern if first marked out in circles with a bamboo, and the skin is cut with the bone of a bat’s wing. The amount of tattooing varies, but the pain and swelling is always considerable. No girl would be considered marriageable unless tattooed, and the operation performed is a sign that the time is come when the father of the young man to whom one is engaged should pay something down with a view to the marriage. Further advance, however, may be delayed for months or even years before the future father-in-law goes with his party to pay down the whole sum of money agreed upon. Then after staying two days at least with endless difficulties interposed the girls is given up, and an extra sum of money has to be paid, na rongo ni nggoti kekesa, the money to break the post near the door used to take hold of in going in and out of the house, to finish her going in and out of her old home.”