686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Jun 29, 2023
North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 18th century CE. A dazzling bowl of stable, round-bottomed form exhibiting sumptuous caramel, coffee, wheat, and mahogany hues from the wood of the kou tree - an inherently beautiful Hawaiian hardwood with a warm glow that shines in the light. The wide body and gently tapering walls lead up to the thin rim, and within the deep basin is a layer of rich, dark patina indicative of countless uses. Three areas of old repairs on the exterior surfaces show the level of care someone had for this particular vessel. A lustrous burnish across the exterior creates an evocative presentation that is characteristic of high-quality Hawaiian wood vessels! Size: 8.4" W x 5.8" H (21.3 cm x 14.7 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 Fremont, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#179849
Three areas of old repairs along the rim as well as several old plug-shaped repairs on the base. Small chip within basin, with a couple of stable hairline fissures on rim, and minor abrasions, otherwise in excellent condition. Great patina throughout and especially within basin.
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