This is a handle which belongs to a wooden bowl. It is not sure that it belonged with one of the bowls of the collection, since this is the only exemple and no bowl shows a notch, where this handle could have gone. There were always two separately carved handles which were glued to the rim of the bowl. They served as adornment rather than handles to lift the bowl. <BR> <BR> This handle is in the form of a spiral with 3,5 roundings. It rests on an openwork rhomboid. The outer rim shows openwork carving. The rim is further adorned with seeds. There are carvings on the spiral. The whole handle is coloured red with the carvings being coloured white.<BR> There are different conceivable inspirations for the spiral. It could represent the curled tail of a marsupial, the coil of a sea snail, a boar's tusks or fern fiddleheads. The handles have the form of an ornament, which can also be found on the prow and stern of a canoe. The connection to canoes is important, as both were associated with clans and clan symbols. The patterns could have been clan insignia.<BR> <BR> Due to its size, it can be assumed that this handle belonged to a big festive bowl. Those bowls were not used as a personal dish, but rather as a ceremonial vessel. It was for example used to store all the coconut oil, which was given to a bride on her wedding day. <BR> It was also used to serve and distribute large portions of accumulated food on ceremonial occasions, which was important to support the redistributional practice in a village.<BR>