Lot 113a, Auction 4/20/2026: Papua New Guinea Wood War Canoe Prow Shield

$455.00

In stock

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River region, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A canoe prow ornament shield, hand-carved from wood and painted with natural ochre pigments, featuring a boldly rendered female ancestral figure at the front. Behind the figure rise three large panels formed from fibrous palm spathe, all lashed to a wood and bamboo framework. Such ornaments were mounted on the prows of war canoes, serving both as protective spirit guardians and as vivid visual emblems of clan identity as vessels traveled the waterways of the Sepik region. This example retains much of its original pigment and displays wonderful age and use, embodying the artistry and spiritual traditions of Papua New Guinea. Size: 51″ L x 29″ H (129.5 cm x 73.7 cm)

Condition: Fair condition with losses to palm panels, with fraying along the edges. Losses to the bamboo frame along the right panel verso. Deep pressure fissures on the wood figure. Fading and losses to pigments.

Provenance: private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired between 1950 and 1985

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