Pola Hanau (Birth Bowl)
808-966-8108 polahanau@gmail.com
Pola Hanau Gallery
Pola Hanau are pictured with the children they were made for.
** Not all Pola Hanau are listed. Parent permission is required to place the pictures here in the Gallery by year on the web site. We would love to place all the keiki and their bowls here but respect your privacy.
Please contact Uncle Malu and a photo release form will be emailed to you. Once signed & returned your child's picture and their Pola Hanau picture will be placed in the appropriate year below. Mahalo
Click on the year to see the Pola Hanau bowls and keiki they were made for.
Contact Malu Konanui / Spiritual Creator of the original and only authentic Pola Hanau, at
(808) 966-8108 polahanau@gmail.com.
Hanau Hou: Rebirth Paperback – September 3, 2025
by B. Malulani KONANUI (Author)
Hanau Hou: Rebirth is the powerful life story of B. Malulani “Uncle Malu” Konanui, who was hānai (adopted) as an orphaned infant and raised in the old Hawaiian way in the small fishing village of Opihikao. Through hardship, discipline, and aloha, he grew from a boy fishing off the Puna coast to a Navy serviceman during the Vietnam era, to a dedicated police officer, and eventually a master woodturner. Along the way, he embraced the guiding Hawaiian values of lōkahi (harmony), hōʻihi (respect), aloha (love), maopopo (understanding), and ha‘aha‘a (humility), which shaped both his personal journey and his lasting contributions to his community.
In retirement, Uncle Malu discovered his true calling—reviving a nearly forgotten Hawaiian tradition through his signature creation, the Pola Hānau (birth bowl), crafted to honor the birth of each child. Over nearly three decades, he has shaped more than 450 bowls from native woods, reconnecting families with their heritage and restoring an ancient practice tied to the sacred piko (umbilical cord). Woven with mo‘olelo, family memories, and spiritual insight, Hānau Hou: Rebirth is more than a memoir—it is a legacy of light, love, and cultural renewal, reminding us that to live pono is to live in harmony with the past, present, and future.
