Description

Large wooden bowl. Long and narrow, carved from rosewood, with thick walls, and a wide base that is concave on the underside. Ebony wood is inset along the outer rim in a line of diamond and triangle shapes, below which are carved the outline of birds in a linear design. On one end of the bowl sits a large sculptural element showing a shark transforming from its human shape. The figure of a man emerges from below, with large head, flat jaw, heavy brow and shell eyes, and is backed by swirls and circular designs. On the opposite side of the bowl is an eagle, wings angled behind the head to rest on the edge of the bowl, beak in contact with the upraised tail of a fish whose head supports the bird’s belly. Abalone is used for the creatures’ eyes, and in a repeating motif along the lip of the bowl.