Ulawa Island, Makira Province, Eastern Solomon Islands
19th century; collected 1893 or before
Wood, nautilus shell inlay, charcoal pigment, tree resin
Height 6¼ in (15.9 cm)
Provenance: English private collection; early French-language label present on underside with the date 1893, the name Ulawa, and a partial reference to “Mssr. Bishop”
Ceremonial bowls from Ulawa Island in the Eastern Solomon Islands were decorated with nautilus shell inlay set against a black ground of charcoal pigment and tree resin. This surface treatment places the bowl within the wider Solomon Islands tradition of shell inlay on prestige objects, while the Ulawa attribution points to a smaller and less frequently discussed regional tradition. The early French-language label on the underside, with the date 1893 and the name Ulawa, gives the piece unusually specific collection documentation for an object of this type.
The bowl is raised on a foot, with a rounded body decorated around the upper register in geometric nautilus shell inlay. The contrast between the pale iridescent shell and the dark resin ground remains clear and legible. Although the label is partially missing, its surviving inscription places the object in a documented collection by 1893 and includes a partial reference to “Mssr. Bishop,” possibly indicating an early collector or dealer.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Ulawa Island, Makira Province, Eastern Solomon Islands
19th century; collected 1893 or before
Wood, nautilus shell inlay, charcoal pigment, tree resin
Height 6¼ in (15.9 cm)
Provenance: English private collection; early French-language label present on underside with the date 1893, the name Ulawa, and a partial reference to “Mssr. Bishop”
Ceremonial bowls from Ulawa Island in the Eastern Solomon Islands were decorated with nautilus shell inlay set against a black ground of charcoal pigment and tree resin. This surface treatment places the bowl within the wider Solomon Islands tradition of shell inlay on prestige objects, while the Ulawa attribution points to a smaller and less frequently discussed regional tradition. The early French-language label on the underside, with the date 1893 and the name Ulawa, gives the piece unusually specific collection documentation for an object of this type.
The bowl is raised on a foot, with a rounded body decorated around the upper register in geometric nautilus shell inlay. The contrast between the pale iridescent shell and the dark resin ground remains clear and legible. Although the label is partially missing, its surviving inscription places the object in a documented collection by 1893 and includes a partial reference to “Mssr. Bishop,” possibly indicating an early collector or dealer.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
