North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful and sizable serving vessel hand-carved from a thin-walled gourd known as an umeke (also umeke la'au pakaka) - a bowl used by high-status individuals (known as kanaka) for consuming poi. The rare vessel exhibits dense decorations across the exterior - including intricate diamonds, zigzags, stippling, linear bands, and flower petals - in dark pigment that still retains much of its original color. Size: 10.375" L x 10.25" W x 6.9" H (26.4 cm x 26 cm x 17.5 cm)

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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#184495

Small and stable fissure along rim, with light fading to pigment, and minor abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to exterior decorations. Previous inventory label beneath base.