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EARLY BOWL SOLOMON ISLANDS OCEANIC (Midtown East)
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Provenance: Merton D. Simpson Gallery, New York, ("Studio 4/76" on Gallery rolodex card).
This early carved feast bowl is on a carved, integral, oval pedestal base. The overall bowl is in the shape of a bird (frigate) with the shell inlaid handles being the head (having flattened head as seen in early examples located in the British Museum: see Cf's, below), a shell inlaid fish (bonito) and tail of a bird (kesoko). The flattened head would be illustrative of a wet frigate bird after impaling a fish with its beak. Wings are shell inlaid and carved in relief, on both sides of the bowl. Shell inlays in various areas of the bowl with parinarium nut paste. Old water-line stain from use, inside the bowl. Brown/black color with glossy patina. This bowl as compared to museum examples, such as ones in the British Museum, has an early dating due to its overall surface, having inlaid shell (not shell just glued onto the wood surface) & various shell types used, an early patina, and stone (pre-contact) tool marks overall.
This large bowl would of be made for chiefs and nobility (ali'i).
PRICE UPON REQUEST
This feast bowl comes with the original Rolodex inventory card (and a plastic holder) from the Merton D. Simpson Gallery, New York for the bowl; having an ink drawing and annotations by Merton D. Simpson, depicting the front section of this bowl with measurements and month/year acquired (see photo).
A separate, custom, museum quality, rectangular wood and metal pins(2) base accompanies this bowl.
The black lip oyster shell (pinctada margaritifera) with its golden hue and dark rim, which was the most highly prized shell of all; also used in the gorgets for Chief's and others of high rank, were only used in bowls of importance. They are not that often seen on many bowls, mostly the plainer oyster shells were used.
The motif on this bowl depicting the frigate bird impaling a bonito fish was very important to the Solomon Islanders. The fishing boats would search the skies for groups of frigate birds above. Upon seeing these bird groupings the Solomon Is, fisherman would know the bonito, that they were in search of were below that location. A quite ingenious way to locate a very important and sacred food supply to the indigenous people of the Solomon Islands.
“All the wooden bowls from this area are made from the same light wood, stained black with plant juice mixed with charcoal. 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, and cone shells for the larger 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. Most bowls are oval with handles at each end. The shapes of these handles are stylised depictions of creatures such as birds, squid or crickets from which the bowls are named. However, bowls in the form of a bird, with the bird's beak impaling or swallowing a fish, as here, are also a well-established form.” Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
Comparisons collected circa 1865, presently at the British Museum:
--Twelfth photo above: Cf. British Museum, Registration number: Oc.6356 “From a collection of more than 1,000 artefacts made by Julius Brenchley in 1865 on a cruise of HMS Curacoa in Solomon Islands, which was divided among Maidstone Museum, the British Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum and Exeter Museum Register slip reads: Presd. by Julius L. Brenchley Esq 24.3.1870 (M.).Museum acquisition date 1870.”
--Thirteenth photo above: Cf. British Museum, Registration number: Oc. 6354 (same collection information as above).
--Fourteenth (last) photo above: Cf. British Museum, Registration number: Oc.6355 (same collection information as above).