Bowl
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Bowl” now? Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
Tami Island is famous for the wooden food bowls carved by highly skilled men. In the past, the bowls were traded extensively to surrounding regions and were an important part of the island's economy. Tami food bowls are fashioned into oblong canoe shapes from hard wood and were traditionally carved using stone, bone, or ivory tools. Lime is used to fill in the carved out areas of the decoration and the bowls may have once been painted with a red earth pigment.Bowls such as this one are probably used in ceremonial and feast contexts. While the meaning of the animal iconography on some Tami bowls is unknown, it is certain that the human faces and figures represent spirits associated with families, clans, or villages.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 89.35.1
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
