Large and rare Hawaiian calabash or 'Umeke' dating to the 19th century. This bowl is lathe-turned, hand-carved, and hand-polished. It was made of a beautifully grained, shimmering Kou, or possibly Koa wood and shows two old Hawaiian 'butterfly' repairs.This type of bowl was used for food at the traditional "luau" or feast in Hawaii and they have become rare and sought after by collectors of Hawaiian antiques and arts and crafts. ...click for details
Beautifully carved antique wooden figure from the Lower Sepik River area of New Guinea. This piece is quite old, dating from the early part of the 20th century. Judging from the carving style, wear, encrusted patina, and general over-all appearance, my guess would be pre-1920s.
This piece is mounted on a wooden base and measures 18.25" with the base and 16.5" the figure by itself.
...click for details
Rare antique Maori hand-carved wooden bowl, from New Zealand, late 19th or early 20th century. This piece was carved in the form of a Maori face, with inlaid shell eyes and a whole Paua shell, inset into the wood, as the mouth. The geometric swirling designs around the sides of the bowl represent traditional tribal tatoos.
This bowl was no doubt made to sell to travelers visiting New Zealand, rather than for tribal use, ...click for details
