Oceania/Polynesia, Hawaiian Islands, ca. early 20th century CE. A massive koa wood platter with a shallow bowl and an interesting old repair, also made from wood. Hawaii is renowned for its finely carved vessels, many of which are made of koa wood as its grain is relatively soft and easy to cut. In traditional Hawaiian culture, cooked taro root was pounded into poi, a stable of their diet. Taro root was steamed in an earthen oven, peeled using shells, and placed onto a slab of wood like this one to be pounded. The pounded results were blended with water to form a highly nutritious paste. Size: 21" W x 40.5" H (53.3 cm x 102.9 cm)

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#135652

Rich, dark patina. Some large, stable cracks down the body, and one area of old repair on one end.