This is a beautifully figured instrument measuring 22.5” in length with a 1” bore diameter. Woods used in construction, beginning at the mouthpiece include African black and white ebony between layers of SE Asian amboyna burl, and capped with the koa. The fetish is cut from the koa, bonded to a base of Oklahoma red cedar for moisture control, with wing overlay of paua abalone, mappa burl, yew, and additional koa. A fun fact, the only hawk indigenous to the islands is the I’o. Originally populating all of them, it is in the same genus as the red tailed hawk, and is now only found on the big island. This fetish block is not that hawk.

Inlay, beginning at the mouthpiece, includes a quartz capped 8mm abalone cab, flanked by 4.2mm turquoise dots. Each side of the compression chamber includes 19mm disks of amboyna burl, themselves inset with 12mm abalone cabs. Forward from the block, I’ve placed a 16mm azurite blue mabe (blister) pearl. The finger holes are accented with four 4.8mm abalone dots and an 8x10mm oval labradorite cabochon. Lastly, the block has a 6mm black pearl set to the crown, and 2.8mm hematite beads set as eyes.

The flute was tuned at a wood temperature of 78.2° F, an ambient temp. of 72.3° F, and a humidity factor of 58%, at sea level.