Aboriginal Australian Bowl

This type of Aboriginal Australian bowl in the shape of an elongated oval is known as a coolamon. Coolamons are made from hard wood trees where a strip of the outer bark is removed and then molded over a fire to create the curved sides. Once the coolamon is shaped and dried, they are often decorated with engravings and symbols on the exterior portion of the wood, as seen above. This type of shallow, multipurpose bowl was traditionally used by Aboriginal women to winnow grains, carry fruit, nuts, or water, and to cradle babies. For traveling long distances, the women carried coolamons on their heads, often with a ring pad made of grass, feathers or hair to support the bowl. In contemporary Aboriginal artwork, the coolamon is a symbol of femininity emphasizing the importance of women and children.

This bowl was purchased in the late 1990s at the Warlukurlangae Artists Aboriginal Association in Alice Springs, Australia. Despite the traditionally practical uses of coolamons, this one was always intended to be seen as a piece of art. You can learn more about Aboriginal Australian art with this Artifact of the Month post featuring a dot painting.

This coolamon is on display in the exhibit “Return to Sender? Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Repatriation” through August 15, 2026.