North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A grandiose and gorgeous calabash bowl, skillfully hand-carved from wood of the kou tree - an inherently beautiful Hawaiian hardwood with a warm glow that shines in the light. Boasting a natural woodgrain surface in rich hues of caramel, chocolate, and espresso, the lovely dish presents a rounded base, a wide hip, and a circular rim that gently curves inward. The rounded base is an indicator of an early bowl as they were intended to be placed atop sand or mats. A pair of old repairs on the exterior surfaces show the level of care someone had for this particular vessel. Size: 9.5" W x 5" H (24.1 cm x 12.7 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.

Native to coastal regions of the Hawaiian Islands, Kou can grow up to 25 feet across and 50 feet tall. The majority of the tree population was destroyed by moths in the 1800s, making Kou wood a rare delicacy. Kou was prized by Hawaiian royalty for food vessels due to both the beauty of its wood grain and its inability to corrupt the taste of food.

Please note this item falls under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and is not eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 2000 to 2010

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#185079

Lovingly repaired almost 200 years ago.