Oceania, Papua New Guinea, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A beautiful, wonderfully preserved wooden model of a canoe with a crocodile head and tail at its stern and bow respectively, its exterior carved with incised motifs that give the body the impression of a crocodile's rough skin. Black and red pigment highlight the iconography. Two fishing platforms, an outrigger, and two wonderful sails made of thin wooden fiber with attached crests complete the model. Models like this one remind us of the traditional lifestyle in this region, where people used canoes like this to travel along island interior waterways and along the coast, trading, fishing, and visiting friends and family. Size: 9.8" L x 19.75" W x 13" H (24.9 cm x 50.2 cm x 33 cm)
Provenance: ex-Aguttes auction, Paris, France (April 6, 2017, lot 566)
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#153471
Condition
Completely intact with lovely preservation of form with light wear commensurate with age and light deposits on surface.