North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 17th to 18th century CE. A sizable and sturdy ball of a nearly spherical form that is hand-carved from pumice using stone tools. This round stone is a game ball that was used by the Kanaka - the name for the native Hawaiian peoples - to develop balance and stamina for tasks like hunting and fighting. Hawaiians played a variety of games to celebrate the arrival of the Pleiades in the eastern sky, signifying the new year and the time for Makahiki. The Scottish botanist, William Dean Howells, traveled to the Hawaiian Islands in 1824 to 1825 and recorded his observations and illustrations, which included a tattooed Hawaiian chief balancing on a large stone ball like this example. Size: 9.1" W x 9.7" H (23.1 cm x 24.6 cm)

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired 1995 to 2010

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#166652

Minor nicks and chips to some areas, with light encrustations and calcifications within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and excellent. Relatively smooth surface texture throughout. Old inventory label on one area.