Pecan Calabash - 4"h x 7-1/4" rim diameter

Waiting for Emiliano to comment before I do, haha!! Nice bowl regardless Michael!!

Russ Braun said:

Waiting for Emiliano to comment before I do, haha!! Nice bowl regardless Michael!!

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Ha! Thanks Russ! Here’s a semi-long response (because I like to nerd out on these things).

I’ve been waiting to make a calabash until I thought/hoped I could do the form justice. If I had to criticize it as a hyper-textbook umeke I’d mention that the rim should definitely be a little more enclosed (would be the case if I hadn’t screwed up the turning lol). I’ll try to improve on my second attempt, an the title will include the word traditional.

That said, after reading Jenkins’ book on calabashes, and a bunch of other things, there is SO much variation to the form. It’s amazing the ancient bowlmakers could make bowls this thin and smooth with primitive tools. Such a cool history!

Like you said, you can probably find one with this shape either in the book or at the Bishop Museum. Umeke means any wooden container. The Hawaiians had dozens of names for their calabashes; this type is more of a Ku'oho type, bigger than the low-sided Palewa, which I teach in my demos. Yopu nailed the bottom for sure. Well done.

Emiliano Achaval said:

Like you said, you can probably find one with this shape either in the book or at the Bishop Museum. Umeke means any wooden container. The Hawaiians had dozens of names for their calabashes; this type is more of a Ku'oho type, bigger than the low-sided Palewa, which I teach in my demos. Yopu nailed the bottom for sure. Well done.

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Thanks Emiliano. Visiting the Bishop museum would be such a privilege. One day!