Description:

South Pacific, Hawaii, 19th century CE. A beautiful example of a wooden calabash - a serving bowl named for the gourd that it resembles, though it is made from inherently beautiful Hawaiian hardwood. This example has a small round foot, which is a rare variation and indicates that it was made after the introduction of the lathe. Its petite size is also a rare variation, because they vessels are often used for buffets. Size: 5.5" H (14 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. Prior to the 19th century, they were made with stone and coral tools, carved from kou, milo, and kamani trees most commonly. 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 repair itself beautiful.

Provenance: ex-Massachusetts Collection

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#119876

  • Condition: Small butterfly repair as shown with some surface cracking and wear/patina to the wood.

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January 19, 2017 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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