Hozv Umekes Were Made. 



159 



Technique of Bowl Carving. — Although they did not always succeed, as 

 we see from the many cracks mended in the old bowls, the Hawaiian skilled in wood 

 working tried to season his wood thoroughly by cutting it into suitable blocks and 

 then sinking it in some pool where it might soak for months. When a dark tone was 

 desired, the block was sunk in the mud of a kalo patch where the ferruginous mud soon 

 produced the appearance of age even on light colored wood fresh from the maker's hand. 



When sufificiently seasoned the block was shaped outside as a solid object as may 

 be seen in Fig. 140. We are exceedinglj- fortunate in having a good series of half- 



FIG. 140. BLOCKS PARTLY SHAPED PERHAPS A CENTURY AGO. 



shaped blocks in the Museum colle6lions. A few j-ears ago, when Hon. Chas. R. Bishop 

 was having some excavations made on his estate at Waikiki the laborers dug from 

 the sand a number of such blocks, some of which are shown in the figure, so many 

 indeed, that' it was evident they had been intentionally buried. Probably at the ap- 

 proach of Kamehameha's hostile fleet, the artisan in bowls hurriedly buried his whole 

 stock in the soft sand for safety : either he was killed in the fight or forgot the place 

 of concealment, for the cache was left for another generation to study and spell out the 

 way of working. Another specimen of a deep umeke (No. 8571), fashioned externally 

 but only half excavated was given to the Museum by Mr. Henry G. K. Lyman : in 

 this it is easy to see how the pecking out of the core was done. 



It will be at once asked by the turner of modern times how they managed to 

 strike a circle ? There are no signs of anj^ circle struck on the flat surface, and all 



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