Lot 46: A beautiful and exceptionally rare Hawaiian stone mirror

A beautiful and exceptionally rare Hawaiian stone mirror, Hawaii; USA

Kilo Pohaku'; The pre-contact mirror of basalt and carved in the form of a flattened disk with small hole pierced at the top for attachment, drilled from either side. The stone with beautiful natural grain. The Mirror in a frame of Koa wood, modern, but made to hold it, and with an award for the finest presentation mount, at Aloha week, 1990. D. 2 3/4"

Hawaiian stone mirrors are among the rarest of all Hawaiian lithic items. Only a handful are known to exist, and the vast majority of these are in Museums. It is presumed that they were rubbed with oil and used as mirrors by high ranking nobles; a divinatory useage can not be ruled out either.

Comments:
Property of an East Coast private collector

Provenance:
Private Hawaiian collection

Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000

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