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THBGorgeous 18th C. Hawaiian Kou Wood Bowl, Old Repairs
About Seller
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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About Auction
LiveJun 29, 2023
Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (339)
- Lot Description
North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 18th century CE. A grandiose and gorgeous calabash bowl, skillfully hand-carved from wood of the kou tree - an inherently beautiful Hawaiian hardwood with a warm glow that shines in the light. Boasting a natural woodgrain surface in rich hues of caramel, chocolate, and espresso, the lovely dish presents a flat base, a wide hip, and a circular rim that gently curves inward. A pair of old repairs on the exterior surfaces show the level of care someone had for this particular vessel. Size: 15.6" Diameter x 5.3" H (39.6 cm x 13.5 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.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.
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#179850Condition
Two old stabilization repairs present on exterior walls, one a butterfly plug, and the other a rectangular plug. Minor abrasions and nicks, with expected surface roughness within basin, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to old repairs, and wonderful patina throughout. Old inventory label fragments within basin.
- Shipping Info
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