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USA Domestic: 12/14 for Standard; 12/23 for Express; International: 12/7 for Standard; 12/19 for ExpressMicronesia, Tobrian Island, Tokelau Islands, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. A wooden box called a tuluma, used by native fishermen from Tokelau to hold fishing gear when at sea - and also used as charming gifts. This tuluma is of a generally oval prism form with a characteristically tight-fitting lid, integral handles on the box and lid, and an elegant inserted oval inlay of rich acorn brown hues on one side (either a decoration or an attractive repair), making for a marvelous contrast with the caramel hues of the box. Most tuluma are made from wood from the kanava tree. Size: 9.125" L x 6.75" W x 8.5" H (23.2 cm x 17.1 cm x 21.6 cm)
According to the Museum of New Zealand, "One scholar suggests that the manufacture of tuluma in Tokelau may have originated with Hawaiian castaways wrecked off one of the atolls around 1830. Beautifully crafted boxes with fitting lids were seen in Hawaii from at least the late 1790s, so it is possible that Hawaiian sailors may have passed their skills on to their new hosts. (reference: LANGDON, R. (1998). Fakaofo's Hawaiian Castaways of 1830 and the Origin of Its Lidded Boxes Called Tuluma. The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 107(3), 287-300.) - https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/174498
Provenance: Tambaran Gallery, New York, New York, USA; ex Economos Gallery
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#149104
Condition
Old chips to rim of lid and lower section. Normal surface wear commensurate with age - also a beautiful lustrous, golden patina. Missing cord that once connected lid to the box. Old collection labels on undersides of box and lid.