Admiralty Islands
Circa 1890-1930
Diameter: 14 inches (35 cm)
Provenance: UK private collection
Wooden ceremonial bowls from the Admiralty Islands were symbols of prestige and served as important spiritual vessels; playing a role between its owner and the soul of a deceased ancestor, his patron spirit, who was considered to have a paternal and protective character. Devotions of food and aromatic herbs were placed in the bowl before addressing the patron spirit "moen palit", by the bowl's high-ranking owner.
This hardwood bowl is finely carved with an array of four dog's heads peering inwards. Intriguingly, this bowl appears to have been the old heirloom bowl photographed in the field in 1994 and published in the book "An Ethnology of the Admiralty Islands" published in 1996 (see attached image). The book describes that the original owner of the bowl had been photographed by the ethnographer Alfred Buhler in 1931. The bowl likely dates from 1890-1930.
Admiralty Islands
Circa 1890-1930
Diameter: 14 inches (35 cm)
Provenance: UK private collection
Wooden ceremonial bowls from the Admiralty Islands were symbols of prestige and served as important spiritual vessels; playing a role between its owner and the soul of a deceased ancestor, his patron spirit, who was considered to have a paternal and protective character. Devotions of food and aromatic herbs were placed in the bowl before addressing the patron spirit "moen palit", by the bowl's high-ranking owner.
This hardwood bowl is finely carved with an array of four dog's heads peering inwards. Intriguingly, this bowl appears to have been the old heirloom bowl photographed in the field in 1994 and published in the book "An Ethnology of the Admiralty Islands" published in 1996 (see attached image). The book describes that the original owner of the bowl had been photographed by the ethnographer Alfred Buhler in 1931. The bowl likely dates from 1890-1930.
