Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 7, 1 July 1989 — Hawaiian calabashes Shown at Art Academy [ARTICLE]

Hawaiian calabashes Shown at Art Academy

An exhibition of rare and outstanding Hawaiian calabashes and bowls from museum and private collections will be on display, Aug. 1-Sept. 10 in the Focus Gallery at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Calabashes ('umeke) are traditional Hawaiian containers made of wood, gourd, coconut and fiber. They were designed to hold poi, the semiliquid food staple made by pounding taro and mixing it with water. Because the Hawaiians prepared taro differently from other Polynesian eultures, the bowls they designed to hold the taro mixture were unique. At one time, wooden ealabashes were almost exclusively royal possessions, held in such high esteem that they were given personal names and passed down as precious heirlooms. The exhibition celebrates the publication of The Hawaiian Calabash, a new book by award-win-ning decorative arts author Irving Jenkins with

photographs by Hugo De Vries. Published by Editions Limited, the book is a joint effort by The Bernice P. Bishop Museum Department of Anthropology and the Kauai Museum. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, The Hawaiian Calabash will be on sale exclusively at the Aeademy Shop at a discount price of $35.95. On August 12 and 13 from 1-4 p.m., Jenkins will autograph copies of his book in Kinau Court. During the same hours, loeal craftsmen Miehael Dunn, Jack Straka and Mark Lebuse will present examples of contemporary calabash carving and bowl turning and offer some pieces for sale. Poi supper table settings will be exhibited in the Lecture Gallery, featuring articles from the eollections of Iolani Palaee, Bishop Museum and private collectors. In Central Court on Sunday afternoon, August 13, a hula halau will present Hawaiian dances in whieh calabashes are used.