Bowl

ClassificationsFurnishings-Serviceware-bowls

Date1953-1954

Made AtPalau

MediumWood

Dimensions18 × 18 × 6 1/2 in. (45.7 × 45.7 × 16.5 cm)

Credit LineGift of Frieda O. Wray from the Estate of Dr. & Mrs. Douglas and Carolyn Osborne

Object number2020.6.2

DescriptionThis is a carved wooden rooster bowl from Palau which dates to the middle of the 20th century. In the Palauan vernacular, a dachelbai is a man who is skilled in creating things by hand, particularly fashioning objects out of wood, stone, or shell. Carving is primarily considered a man’s skill passed down from master to apprentice. Roosters are important symbols in Palau where they traditionally decorated architectural lintels and storyboards. They are icons of male power, symbolize intentionality and announcement and played an important role in the myth of the first Palauan bai. In the 1950s and ‘60s, the craftsmen who made these carving would travel door to door to sell them to tourists, expats, and visiting academics like the Osborne family. A carving in this style would not have been traditional, but in the 20th century carvers began exploring new forms to appeal to a for-export audience.

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