Links to the Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans

Wooden Bowls

The bowls are of various sizes from two Gallons to a quart, they are made of the red Koa tree exceedingly neat and well polished & to appearance are as perfect around as if they had been formed in a lathe. Some of them are made with images to them & these are their Ava bowls, the feet of the Images are made to support the bowl & a hole is made for the Liquor to flow out of their Mouths, & in some of them out of their back sides; these Ava bowls are very scarce being only in the Possession of their Kings, the others are in every house & used to hold their Provisions. David Samwell, surgeon on Cook’s third voyage [Kava bowls] are usually about eight or ten inches in diameter, perfectly round, and beautifully polished. They are supported by three, and sometimes four small human figures, in various attitudes. Some of them rest on the hands of their supporters, extended over the head; others on the head and hands; and some on the shoulders. The figures ... are accurately proportioned and neatly finished, and even the anatomy of the muscles, in supporting the weight, well expressed. James King, commander on Cook’s third voyage During our stay at Atowaie [Kaua‘i], ... we observed the king and his fighting general made use of spitting boxes inlaid with the teeth of their enemies slain in battle. John Turnbull, traveller, 1802 ... a third [attendant of Kamehameha] carried his spit-box, which was set round with human teeth, and had belonged, as I was told, to several of his predecessors. Archibald Campbell, sailor (in Hawai‘i in 1809) Behind [each chief] ... a servant sat or kneeled ... holding ... a small round bowl of dark polished wood, filled with the leaves of an aromatic vine, for a spittoon. C.S Stewart, missionary, 1823–5 The most highly esteemed and favorite calabashes had chants composed for them as though they were human beings, and when they were placed on the table one would hear their owners, with proud countenances, chanting of the celebrated deeds of those for whom they were named. Henry Kekahuna, 19th-century Hawaiian cultural historian 4 WOODEN BOWLS Wooden Bowls Pearl shell eyes, bone teeth. 45.5cmL BrM Oc,Haw.46 Collected during Cook’s third voyage (1778–1779) ‘Umeke l a ‘au, p a ipu Most wooden bowls were made for chiefs. Except for a few specialized platters, such as those for pounding poi or attracting sharks, commoners made do with coconut and gourd vessels. Seasoned kou, milo, and kamani wood were used for the best bowls and ‘ohi ‘a for those of less importance. Bowls were made from trees that were consecrated when cut down. They were shaped with a variety of stone adzes and sharktooth knives that were also consecrated, then finished with abrading stones, burnished with dried leaves or ochre, and finally treated to remove bitter flavors. The majority were used for serving or storing poi. Storage bowls were covered with a lid that sat neatly on the gentle recurve of the upper part of the otherwise convex container. The lid snapped smartly into place when hung in a knotted net. Bowls ranged from cup sized (‘umeke mana ‘ai, puaniki) to large enough to contain a whole dog (lawalawaihonua). They were low (palewa ), low and wide (pak ak a ), medium sized (puahala), medium sized and deep (k u ‘oho), had a thick base (‘umeke palapa‘a), or were deep with a thick base (k umau , k umauna ). Their shapes were developed to meet specific needs. For instance the ‘umeke ipu kai had a shape that was similar to, but more elaborate than, the pak ak a to accommodate the salting of food, and the lidded kumau was especially suited for storing poi. Poi bowls were thin, round, and deep; fish platters were small and long, and dog or pig platters large and long, sometimes with legs. Spittoons, scrap bowls, and chamber pots usually had handles and thick walls. Kava mixing bowls (ka ‘awa, kanoa , kanoa ‘awa) took various shapes. Most spectacular are the bowls with figures and those inlaid with the teeth of vanquished enemies. After contact with Europeans, Hawaiian artisans developed two types of bowls unique to their islands: finger bowls with internal nubs for wiping off grease and, on Maui, bowls with combinations of curved and flat surfaces (horizontal bands, vertical panels, shaped facets). 28.6cmL Vienna 175 Links to the...