Hawaiian
Circa 1800
Kou wood (Cordia subcordata)
Height: 4 in. (10.2 cm); Diameter: 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Wooden bowls were among the most carefully maintained objects in Hawaiian domestic life, with quality vessels passed between generations and repaired rather than discarded. Kou was the wood of choice for bowls intended for food service, its density and fine grain producing a surface that improves with handling over time. This example, dating to circa 1800, comes from a private Honolulu collection and retains evidence of sustained use.
The form is wide and shallow relative to its diameter, with an open profile and smoothly finished walls that curve continuously from rim to base. The kou has developed a warm, variegated tone across the exterior, ranging from amber to deeper reddish-brown at the base. Native repairs on the body record the bowl's working life and the care taken to preserve it.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Hawaiian
Circa 1800
Kou wood (Cordia subcordata)
Height: 4 in. (10.2 cm); Diameter: 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Wooden bowls were among the most carefully maintained objects in Hawaiian domestic life, with quality vessels passed between generations and repaired rather than discarded. Kou was the wood of choice for bowls intended for food service, its density and fine grain producing a surface that improves with handling over time. This example, dating to circa 1800, comes from a private Honolulu collection and retains evidence of sustained use.
The form is wide and shallow relative to its diameter, with an open profile and smoothly finished walls that curve continuously from rim to base. The kou has developed a warm, variegated tone across the exterior, ranging from amber to deeper reddish-brown at the base. Native repairs on the body record the bowl's working life and the care taken to preserve it.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
