Description:

**Originally Listed At $1200**

Polynesia, Hawaii, ca. 19th century CE. A handsome milo wood bread fruit splitter, handmade using a stone adze. The form is simple - a columnar handle that curves at the top in an abrupt, obtuse angle and then tapers to a narrow wooden blade. Bread fruit is one of the staples of the traditional Hawaiian diet, brought to the island by Kaha'i-a-Ho'okamali'i, the last chief to make the long and arduous sea voyage between Hawaii and Kahiki. His voyage was the last before a long period of isolation in Hawaii, when there was no contact between the Hawaiians and the people of Eastern Polynesia. Bread fruit helped sustain the Hawaiians during this long time period until the era of contact with Europeans. Size: 7" W x 10.9" H (17.8 cm x 27.7 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Tam Sing collection, Maui, Hawaii, USA, 2001

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#154500

  • Condition: Expected wear and weathering on surface commensurate with age and use, including a few small fractures, mostly at the upper curve.

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September 17, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000