The bowl is hewn from one piece of palm wood. The diameter can be round or oval and the bowl has no feet, two semi-circled feet or four cylindrical feet. It can be flat or bulbous. The surface is polished with a checkering file and a pumice. Some are coloured dark brown after. The bowl has two separately carved handles, which are glued to the bowl or handles, which are carved out from the wood together with the bowl. The handles probably served as decoration and not as actual handles to lift the bowl. <BR> The outer side often has carved decorations, mostly a band around the upper rim which shows geometrical patterns. Some parts of the upper rim are thickened and therefore stick out for decoration. The handles are four-legged animals, which hold their big nose with two arms. The high back has the form of a toothed comb. It probably represents a wild boar. <BR> The carving of the bowls was the job of men.<BR> The bowl was used as a dish for food, most likely soup. It was reserved for persons of high rank. <BR> A second function of wooden bowls was during ceremonies and rituals. <BR> In healing ceremonies, a wooden bowl with water was part of the equipment of the healer. The water was stirred to take in the soul, so that it could later be placed back into the ill person. <BR> A large wooden bowl was also reported to have been part of a feast to remember a deceased leader. The new leader was the host of this feast. All guests put as many betel nuts in the bowl as they had brought pigs to honour the new leader. When everybody had his turn, all the nuts were counted aloud in front of everybody. <BR> Sometimes, skulls of deceased family members were kept in such a bowl in the house to entertain a good relationship to the patron ghost of the house, which the soul of the deceased is considered to be. The soul of a deceased father has the most protective powers. The skull protects the house and its people from malicious influences. It also punishes the family member, who act sinfully or against the moral. Offerings like aromatic herbs are put in the bowl from time to time. On public feasts, the bowl with the skull is brought out to the veranda and all the offerings made by the house owner are made in the name of the ghost. <BR>