wood, brown patina, white, red and black pigment, lancet-shaped blade with raised vertical middle ridge, carved with the head of spirit being in flat relief, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, water spots;
such paddles were used in a conventional way but as personal property were displayed on ritual occasions when their prestige value was deemed worthy of exhibition. The soft wood used to produce these light implements enabled paddlers to move their canoes through water at great speeds.
L: 183 cm, L: 72,0 inch
Provenance:
Old German Colonial Collection, before 1914
Lit.: Conru, Kevin, Solomon Islands Art, Milan 2008, ill. 95
Continent: Oceania

See description