| Sumario: | Based on my fieldwork on Duau, Normanby Island, I will argue that kula is best modelled as a meshwork. Through this concept, which I borrow from Ingold, I ask the reader to re‐imagine kula as constituted of lines of connectivity that extend far beyond kula's confines to a person's local and non‐kula inter‐island exchange relations. To demonstrate the working of kula as a meshwork, I first look at how it more closely corresponds to Duau conceptualizations of space, which imagines their social world as comprised of emplaced persons who are all connected together via keda (roads) of exchange. Next, I examine what actually occurs during a kula expedition, comparing Malinowski's classic account to my observations today. As well, I assess the flows of kula shells into and out of circulation in kula as a special category of valuables called kitomwa. Then I revisit Munn's exemplary analysis of fame, inspecting how the meshwork model provides a better understanding of this integral kula concept. Finally, I conclude by arguing that by modelling kula as a meshwork we are better positioned to understand how kula gives shape to islanders' experience of their lives.
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