Description:

South Pacific, Hawaii, mid-19th century CE. A beautiful example of a wooden calabash - a serving bowl named for the gourd that it resembles, though it is carved from kou, an inherently beautiful Hawaiian hardwood. This example is quite large and presents a simple yet elegant rounded form. Such vessels have traditionally been used for serving at buffets. Please also take note of the rather attractive repairs to the bowl. Repaired calabashes like this one demonstrate signs of immense reverence - the calabash was loved enough to be repaired, and the repairs, like this one, were done with the desire to make the repairs themselves beautiful. Size: 11.5" in diameter x 7.5" H (29.2 cm x 19 cm)

Hawaiian royalty often valued specific calabashes - even going so far as to name them after royal individuals - and until the early 19th century they were reserved for elites in society. Traditionally, these vessels were carved from the wood of trees such as kou, milo, and kamani, using stone and coral tools.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#145319

  • Condition: A few nicks to the rim and old repairs to base and side walls as shown. Repairs indicate that the calabash bowl was beloved, and they are done in such a way as to add beauty to the piece.

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May 9, 2019 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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