Both of these works were given as gifts to Major James J.O. Anderson, a U.S. Marine stationed on Savai’i Island in the nation of Samoa during World War II. Anderson’s job was, in part, to establish meaningful relationships with the political leaders (faipule) of the Samoan and Samoan-adjacent islands. The existence of these works speaks to his success in that endeavor. Both represent long-standing artistic forms associated with leadership in this region, and both were given to Anderson by the leaders of islands in the Samoan region. The bowl (tanoa fai’ava) was given to him as a personal gift upon his departure from Savai’i Islands in 1942, and the painted barkcloth (siapo) was presented to him by a leader on nearby Wallis Island as “a gift to the American people.” The lack of wear on both artworks suggest they were made specifically for Anderson.