Traditional
Any discussion of
what is traditional is likely to evoke a few opinions, no matter what culture
is the subject of discussion. The Hawaiian culture has deep roots in bowl
making and much of we know of the methods used to make them is still surrounded
by a bit of mystery. One of the things to keep in mind is that we are talking
about an interrupted culture. Another is that bowls were not simply utilitarian
but maintained in some religious and spiritual stature. The wood that was used
was under protection and you really needed to have permission or be
commissioned to do this type of work or risk some unhealthy consequences. Wood
was taken from trees that were felled only after properly transporting the
spirits within the tree to a new home.
We have many fine examples
of the bowl maker’s art and there is a considerable amount that we don’t know about
that art. What is somewhat of a mystery to me is why would the wooden bowls be
so important to this culture. It would appear that the crafting of wooden bowls
far exceeded the functional requirements needed to serve their purpose.
If we look at what
other peoples were doing during the same period, one thing is clear: throughout
the Pacific no one else went through so much trouble to take a seemingly
functional item and elevate it to such high standards with meticulous attention
to detail. Shape, color, grain and finish were a pretty big deal in the
Hawaiian culture, and making a bowl took a long time and was very labor
intensive. Probably no one today would burn out the center of log and hack out
the rest with a sharp rock, even for the sake of authenticity. Nor would they
go through the endless stages of seasoning to remove offensive tastes and
odors, then rubbing with different abrasive rocks, coral, shark skin, charcoal and
ulu and bamboo leaves to get to the final polish of the bowl.
Since we are talking
about an interrupted culture, no one can say what those bowl makers descendants
would be doing today. The chances are that bowls would be even more refined,
given that we have better tools and methods. These ancient bowl makers did
exquisite work. I think that the point is that traditional shapes are not
clunky, or unrefined. We are woodturners and have our own sensibilities toward
wood and how we do our craft. I think that what is important about doing a
traditional style of Hawaiian bowl is to have a sense of respect for the
lineage from which it came and to put your own mana (spirit) into the work. It
is not about authenticity. We are not part of the culture that established
these traditional styles, but we can share an appreciation of wood and shape. I think that we can do work that respects the
roots from which it came, and my opinion is that carrying on the spirit of this
tradition is a good thing.
When I am doing a
traditional style bowl, it is simply my attempt to do a piece that has respect
for the beauty of the wood and an appreciation of the elegant shapes of these
traditional styles.
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Types of bowls
Classifications of bowls
is based on basic use and size as well as on shape.
While not strictly
reffering to size and shape, examples of basic types of vessels would be as
follows:
Ipu Kai would
probably be a gourd used as a food container and most likely for an individual.
Umeke or Umeke
Kai would be an general reference to all
containers gourd or wood, although it is generally accepted these days to be
thought of presently as a wooden vessel.
Umeke laau would be
literally be a wooden gourd or what we think of a calabash.
Vessels that are classified
more by their size and not necessarily by their function:
Kumauna are bowls
that are extra large, and not considered to be very portable.
Pakaka are large and
flat and usually were used in food preparation.
Kepakepa are similar
to kumauna and used in much of same ways. It differs in the shape of the rim.
If it is low in height then it would be considered to be a Pakaka.
Palewa are of medium
size. These were usually used for serving food for a family rather than an
individual.
Most of us are
inclined to refer to bowls by thinking of their basic shapes. I am using the
term style and shape interchangeably in this context.
There are a lot of
names for Hawaiian bowls. Most of us in
They are as follows:
- Pu`ahala
A
tall deep bowl. Taller that it is wide. Some times with a lid but not always.
The shape of the cluster on the Hala tree gives this vessel it’s name.
- Ku`oho
A
shorter bowl. Still pretty tall but not taller than it is wide. This is a smaller
version of what most people would call a calabash, or kumauna. The Ku`oho is probably one of the most
commonly seen vessels and as such the name is not specific to a shape. The name
is not as commonly used as it probably should be as it tends to refer generally
to a to a wide range of vessels.
- Mana `ae
A
small personal bowl, sometimes thought to be the same as a pua niki (small
bowl) or poi bowl. This particular bowl however is often given to young
children as part of their birthright. The story goes that traditionally a tree
was selected specifically for that child. A part of that tree would be used to
make the Mana `ae, and another tree would be planted for the next generation. A
Mana `ae is gven for the first meal of hard food. It is to be used only by the
person it was given to, else it is thought to have been spoiled if used by
anyone else.
Pua
niki
Would
be a small bowl similar to what would be a poi bowl for an individual.
- Kumauna
This is the big version (family size) of what people call a calabash. Kumauna are classified by both their size and general shape.
One
of the types of shallow bowls used for serving and preparing food. These are
medium size bowls, usually fairly large in diameter and low in height.
To most people these
are all calabashes, a name originally taken from the type of gourd that was commonly
used to make vessels for food and water. Ipu kai would be probably be the
correct term for these gourd vessels and Umeke laau would be a reference to
wooden bowls. These days I think it is safe to say that umeke would refer to
wood bowls and not be considered to include the vessels made of gourd.
The Hawaiians were
very specific about their names for bowls, and there are literally hundreds of
names. Umeke, has become a generic name for wooden bowls. I guess it would be
the authentic replacement for the word calabash although neither of these words
would indicate what you would expect the bowl to look like or what it would be
used for. I hope these short descriptions and sample pictures will be a starting
point for the further exploration of traditional bowls.
