Hawaiian, Niʻihau
19th century
Gourd, cowrie shell stopper
Height: 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
The umeke pawehe, or decorated gourd bowl, was a specialized production of Niʻihau, where the same geometric decorative vocabulary used on woven mats was applied to gourd surfaces. Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck) documented this tradition in Arts and Crafts of Hawaii (1957, pp. 36–37), noting that the term pawehe described geometric decoration in the natural color of the gourd set against a darker ground, applied to both gourds and mats on the island. Niʻihau pawehe gourds are among the more precisely localized forms of Hawaiian decorative art, with production tied specifically to that island's craft traditions.
The body is decorated with a repeating pattern of circular and gear-form geometric motifs in the natural gourd color against the darker surface, consistent with the pawehe tradition as described by Buck. The neck rises to a narrow opening fitted with a cowrie shell stopper, a finishing detail found on gourds intended for storage of valued contents. The overall form and decoration are well-preserved, with the surface retaining good color contrast across the motifs.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Hawaiian, Niʻihau
19th century
Gourd, cowrie shell stopper
Height: 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
The umeke pawehe, or decorated gourd bowl, was a specialized production of Niʻihau, where the same geometric decorative vocabulary used on woven mats was applied to gourd surfaces. Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck) documented this tradition in Arts and Crafts of Hawaii (1957, pp. 36–37), noting that the term pawehe described geometric decoration in the natural color of the gourd set against a darker ground, applied to both gourds and mats on the island. Niʻihau pawehe gourds are among the more precisely localized forms of Hawaiian decorative art, with production tied specifically to that island's craft traditions.
The body is decorated with a repeating pattern of circular and gear-form geometric motifs in the natural gourd color against the darker surface, consistent with the pawehe tradition as described by Buck. The neck rises to a narrow opening fitted with a cowrie shell stopper, a finishing detail found on gourds intended for storage of valued contents. The overall form and decoration are well-preserved, with the surface retaining good color contrast across the motifs.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
