kula ring
kula ringAn exchange cycle that took place in the Trobriand Isles documented by Bronislaw Malinowski in Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922). Twice each year, Trobriand islanders launched their canoes and visited other islands, carrying gifts and local specialities for barter. When they arrived, the travellers gave gifts, barter, and were feasted by their hosts. These were not simple trading expeditions since the islanders aim to acquire, from special kula-exchange partners, armlets of white shells (mwali) and necklaces of red shells (souvlava). These gifts were carried from one island to another in a ring, the armlets in one direction and the necklaces in another, in a constant cycle of exchange called ‘kula’.
Kula items had no monetary value and could not be converted into consumer goods. They were merely for display and prestige, similar to a sports trophy that is held only...
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