Finger Bowl, Hawaiian Islands

In his The Hawaiian Calabash, Irving Jenkins notes that one of the earliest mentions of ipu holoi lima, or finger bowls, was in 1823, when the English missionary the Rev. William Ellis visited John Adams Kiʻiapalaoku Kuakini, the Royal Governor. Ellis wrote that: “Neat wooden dishes of water were handed to the governor and his friends, both before and after eating, in which they washed their hands. […] this practice, we believe, is an ancient custom, generally observed by the chiefs, and all the higher order of people, throughout the islands.” (William Ellis, cited in Irving Jenkins, The Hawaiian Calabash, Honolulu, 1989, p. 49).

Jenkins notes that “[…] the upper classes in Hawaii ordinarily washed their hands before, after, and sometimes during meals. Although gourds filled with water were commonly used for washbowls, specialized wooden bowls [such as the present lot] were also carved for this purpose. […] They were probably personal items, intended for the use of their owner only […] Like spittoons, many of the washbasins were carved into unique shapes.” (ibid., p. 56).