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Hawaiian bowls have been admired by Europeans and Americans since early contact;
the explorer James Cook observed, "Their wodden dishes and bowls..[are] as neat
as if made in our turning-lathe, and perhaps better polished" (Cook & King 1784,
vol. 2, p. 238-239). Bowls were mainly used to serve poi, the staple of the
Hawaiian diet. The various sizes and shapes suited different purposes. Bowls
were meticulously carved from the base of the kou tree and invariably cracked
in the process. Consequently, the carvers work included patching and stabilizing
organic flaws and structural weakenings in the material. This bowl has numerous
pegs inserted around knots and several rim repairs as well. See Cook, James
and James King. 1784. A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 3 vol., London: Atlas. |
