100% Organic cotton | ʻĀina-friendly dyes & inks | Designed in Hawaiʻi | Made in the USA | Dimensions: 70" long x 44" wide Ipu “Ma ka moʻokūʻauhau hoʻi ʻo Wākea, ua ʻōlelo ʻia na Papa i hānau nā ʻĀina. ʻO ke ʻano naʻe o kā Papa hānau ʻana mai i ka Lani, ka Honua a pēlā wale aku, penei nō ia: Hānau mai ʻo Papa he ʻumeke a he poʻi. Na Wākea hoʻi i kiola aʻe i ke poʻi o ua ʻumeke lā i luna a lilo aʻela i Lani. A laila, ʻo ka haku o loko o ka ʻumeke, kiola aʻela ʻo Wākea i luna a lilo aʻela i Lā. ʻO ka ʻanoʻano i ke kiola ʻia ʻana aʻe e Wākea i luna, ua lilo lākou i mau Hōkū. ʻO ke keʻokeʻo o loko o ka ipu, ʻo ia ka haku keʻokeʻo, hoʻolei nō ʻo Wākea i luna a lilo i Mahina. A ʻo ka pala keʻokeʻo o ka ipu, wawalu ʻo Wākea ia mea a hoʻolei i ka lewa, a lilo i Ao. A laila, ninini akula ʻo Wākea i ka wai o ka ipu i loko o nā Ao a lilo i Ua. ʻO ka ʻumeke, ʻo ia hoʻi ka ipu, wāhi aʻela ʻo Wākea ʻelua ʻāpana, a loaʻa he ʻĀina a he Moana…ʻO kekahi manaʻo hohonu e loaʻa ana iā kākou ma kēia, ʻo ia ka ʻike ʻē ʻana o ka poʻe kahiko o Hawaiʻi nei, he mea kino poepoe ka Honua i pālahalaha ʻoi kona ʻaoʻao luna a me ka ʻaoʻao lalo, ʻo ia paha ka wēlau ʻĀkau a me ka wēlau Hema, e like me ke ʻano o ke poʻi o ka ʻumeke. ʻO kekahi manaʻo naʻauao hou i loaʻa iā kākou ma kēia, ʻo ia ka ʻike ʻana o ia poʻe kahiko, he ʻelua nō hapa poepoe nui o ka Honua nei i ka wā kihoni, ʻo ia ka ʻĀina a me ka Moana. ʻOiai ma ka wāhi ʻana a Wākea i ke kino o ka ʻumeke, ua loaʻa he ʻelua ʻāpana a hoʻohālike ʻia, he ʻĀina kekahi a he Kai kekahi.” (Na J. M. Poepoe, mai kahi haʻiʻōlelo ma ka Hui ʻŌpio Hawaiʻi, 26 Malaki 1896; paʻi ʻia ma Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 24 Iulai 1896.) As one of the primary containers used by our kūpuna, ipu (gourds), and especially hue wai (water gourds), are a beautiful metaphor for the human form. Like children, ipu were cultivated and tended with the utmost care, molded and shaped, gorgeously decorated, and lovingly carried. The hue wai pueo was likened to a woman's body and her womb to an ipu inherited from the most remote ancestress (ipu hoʻoilina, ipu ʻaumakua). Our bodies are miniature versions of the cosmos, as seen in the story where Wākea creates the universe from a gourd. He cuts an ipu and casts the poʻi (cover) above, forming the heavens, along with the meat and seeds forming the moon, sun, planets and stars. He leaves the bottom portion below to form the earth, but cleaves it in two and produces the oceans from one half. The ipu is a kinolau (physical form) of the god Lono, who came to Hawaiʻi from Kahiki, bringing with him knowledge of planting and prosperity, which we celebrate during Makahiki season. One of the ʻōlelo for this design was taken from a chant by Lanikāula to Kamalālāwalu in the story of Lonoikamakahiki: Lono ka ipu iki, Lono ka ipu nui - Lono the small gourd, Lono the large gourd. Another ʻōlelo associated with this design came from the "Pule Ipu," a prayer recited when boys were initiated into the men's house: Hālapa i ka mauli! Excite the flame of life within! Design inspiration was taken from traditional hue wai made on Niʻihau that now live at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
