sentences:  Both the commoners' houses and the aristocracy's "omo sebua" have bowed galleries underneath the large overhanging eaves.Presumed to have been inspired by the bulbous sterns of Dutch galleons, they provided a defensive vantage point, and in times of peace, a ventilated and comfortable place from which to observe the street below.The interiors are built from planed and polished hardwood boards - often ebony - that are slotted into each other using tongue and groove joinery.