North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 16th to mid-17th century CE. A rare and fascinating lamp used for burning oil extracted from the kukui nut, which translates to "candle nut," hand-carved from porous volcanic stone. The intriguing, teardrop-form implement presents with a rounded body, a shallow, ovoid basin, and a projecting handle that narrows and rises slightly upward, all sitting upon a flat base. Light was produced from this lamp by filling the interior with kukui nut oil, igniting one end of a tapa-bark wick, and placing the unlit end inside the oil; the amount of light generated depended on the number of wicks used. Size: 5.8" L x 3.9" W x 1.6" H (14.7 cm x 9.9 cm x 4.1 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 1995 to 2010

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#167397

Expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, intact and excellent with light earthen deposits in some recessed areas.