Bol en calebasse historié , îles Hawaii

umeke pawehe, la panse ornée de drapeaux hawaiiens sur fond de motifs géométriques et la base portant, courant sur toute la circonférence, l'inscription : « O Makou Pomaikai Paio – O Makou Pomaikai Hae ». Belle régularité du décor, les motifs réservés en teinte ocre rouge se détachant sur le fond sombre (black dye). Il a conservé une ancienne étiquette portant la mention manuscrite « Hawaiian Calabash N° 18 ».



Umeke pawehe, the body decorated with Hawaiian flags on a ground of geometric motifs, the base with the following inscription running around its circumference: 'O Makou Pomaikai Hae'. The decoration of beautiful regularity, the motifs in ochre on a dark ground (black dye). The interior with an old label marked 'Hawaiian Calabash No 18'.

Selon son précédent détenteur, elle aurait fait partie d'un ensemble de dix-huit calebasses envoyées en Californie pour être présentées à l'Exposition Universelle de 1915, à San Francisco.

According to its previous owner, this bowl was part of a group of eighteen calabashes exhibited at the 1915 Universal Exposition in San Francisco, California

Wear consistent with age and use within the culture.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

La mention inscrite sur la panse peut être traduite par « Notre drapeau béni, nous sommes inspirés dans notre combat ». Elle reflète l'angoisse vécue par la nation hawaiienne durant toute la seconde moitié du XIX^e siècle, où  les puissances Occidentales, portées par des intérêts politiques, usèrent de stratagèmes et de manipulations qui aboutirent, en 1898, au renversement du régime monarchique et à l'annexion de l'archipel par les Etats-Unis.

The inscription on this bowl can be translated as 'Our blessed flag, we are inspired in our fight'. This reflects the distress which the Hawaiian nation experienced during the second half of the 19th century, when Western powers, motivated by political interests, used various means to bring about the end of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and then the annexation of the archipelago by the United States in 1898.