Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Middle Sepik River region, Iatmul peoples, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A magnificent hand-carved canoe prow depicting the head of a crocodile. The fascinating prow is defined by a lengthy snout with a raised nose, a mouth full of carved teeth, bulging eyes, a backswept brow, and a broad neckline. The sides of the reptilian beast have been intricately incised with linear striations and a lattice pattern, likely to represent scales, while a lovely geometric motif decorates peripheries at the back end of the prow. The rugged terrain of Papua New Guinea means that the easiest form of travel for its native indigenous inhabitants is via dugout canoe, especially in the hilly regions around the long Sepik River inland region. Canoes have traditionally been highly decorated with symbols of clans and emblems for safety, speed, and success. In the Sepik region, nearly every canoe was adorned with a crocodile-head prow. Size: 13.5" W x 40.625" H (34.3 cm x 103.2 cm)

Central to the art and culture of the Iatmul people, crocodiles are considered to be the "ruling reptiles" due to their ability to survive the disaster that exterminated the dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago. One Iatmul creation story credits an ancestral crocodile with forming the land of the earth, which was previously covered by a primordial ocean. According to the account, the crocodile dove to the bottom of the sea and brought with him a load of mud that became an island and then grew and hardened forming land. The land still rests on the back of the giant mythic crocodile, who occasionally moves, causing earthquakes.

Provenance: ex-old private New England collection; ex-Aase B. and Frederick C. Thompson Foundation, Florida, USA, acquired in the 1980s; ex-Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, Florida, USA (Inventory Number 09.1.38)

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#161208

Chip to proper left side of snout. Losses and fissure to back end, commensurate with age and use. Expected surface wear with light nicks, a few abrasions, and some stable fissures throughout. Otherwise, nice with lovely patina.