Chuuk Canoe Prow OrnamentChuuk, Caroline Islands, Micronesia, late 19th centuryGiven the import
Chuuk Canoe Prow OrnamentChuuk, Caroline Islands, Micronesia, late 19th centuryGiven the importance of seafaring, it is not surprising that manyof the most highly skilled artists in the Caroline Islands weremaster canoe builders. The canoe prow ornament illustrated here comesfrom Chuuk. Carved from a single plank of wood and fastened to alarge, paddled war canoe, the prow ornament provided protection onarduous or long voyages. That this and similar prow ornaments are notpermanent parts of the canoes reflects their function. Whenapproaching another vessel, the Micronesian seafarers lowered theseornaments as a signal that their voyage was in peace. The seeminglyabstract design of the Chuuk prow may represent, at the top, twofacing sandpipers. Some scholars, however, think the entire piecerepresents a stylized human figure, with the “birds” constitutingthe arms. (x) -- source link
#art history#carving#micronesia#1800s#art piece