Samoa
Circa 1880
Ironwood
Diameter 19½"; height 8"
Provenance: Dr. Terence Barrow, Honolulu, HI; descended through his first wife's family
This six-legged tanoa was carved from ironwood and carries an ancient patina consistent with a long and active history of kava preparation. The surface tone and texture speak to sustained use rather than decorative display, and the proportions, nearly 20 inches in diameter with a generous depth, suit a bowl intended for ceremonial gatherings. Two holes pierced through the base between the legs are a distinctive feature of this piece, visible on the underside and characteristic of Samoan bowls with histories of active ceremonial use.
Dr. Terence Barrow was one of the foremost scholars of Pacific art of the 20th century, serving as ethnologist at the Dominion Museum in Wellington and later as a curator in Honolulu, where he formed close relationships with Hawaiian and Pacific collecting communities. This bowl passed through his household and descended within his first wife's family, giving it a continuous and traceable collecting history of unusual depth. Few pieces of Samoan material carry provenance of this quality and duration.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Samoa
Circa 1880
Ironwood
Diameter 19½"; height 8"
Provenance: Dr. Terence Barrow, Honolulu, HI; descended through his first wife's family
This six-legged tanoa was carved from ironwood and carries an ancient patina consistent with a long and active history of kava preparation. The surface tone and texture speak to sustained use rather than decorative display, and the proportions, nearly 20 inches in diameter with a generous depth, suit a bowl intended for ceremonial gatherings. Two holes pierced through the base between the legs are a distinctive feature of this piece, visible on the underside and characteristic of Samoan bowls with histories of active ceremonial use.
Dr. Terence Barrow was one of the foremost scholars of Pacific art of the 20th century, serving as ethnologist at the Dominion Museum in Wellington and later as a curator in Honolulu, where he formed close relationships with Hawaiian and Pacific collecting communities. This bowl passed through his household and descended within his first wife's family, giving it a continuous and traceable collecting history of unusual depth. Few pieces of Samoan material carry provenance of this quality and duration.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
