oceania | Solomon Islands
Bowl
Solomon Islands
Early 20th century
Carved wood and shell inlays
Length: 37 cm – 14 ½ in.
Provenance
Ex private collection, Australia
Ex private collection, Singapore
Ex collection Pierre Mondoloni, France, since 2007
Solomon inlaid bowl 37 cm / Galerie Flak
Price on request
Wooden bowls from the Solomon Islands are made from a light wood, stained black with plant juice mixed with charcoal. As noted by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, they come in a great range of sizes and shapes, from small plain bowls which might hold only a few yams, to very large bowls used at feasts, often to serve the portions set aside for chiefs or visitors. Nautilus shells were usually used for the inlay on smaller bowls. One of the criteria by which a master carver was recognised was his skill in cutting and placing the shell pieces on the bowl.
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