Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
1960s
Provenance: Private Texas Collection
Private Collection, Albuquerque NM
Constructed of wood, bamboo, wicker, sago bark panels, vegetal fibers and natural pigments. It has a mask attached in the middle,
“ Shields such as this were affixed to the front of canoes during ceremonies related to war expeditions or fertility. The term “canoe shield” is ambiguous. Such objects did not so much physically protect the occupants of the watercraft but rather endowed them with the power of the ancestor represented. When not in use on a canoe, the shield could have been affixed to the facade of a men’s ceremonial house flanked by paddles.“
Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
1960s
Provenance: Private Texas Collection
Private Collection, Albuquerque NM
Constructed of wood, bamboo, wicker, sago bark panels, vegetal fibers and natural pigments. It has a mask attached in the middle,
“ Shields such as this were affixed to the front of canoes during ceremonies related to war expeditions or fertility. The term “canoe shield” is ambiguous. Such objects did not so much physically protect the occupants of the watercraft but rather endowed them with the power of the ancestor represented. When not in use on a canoe, the shield could have been affixed to the facade of a men’s ceremonial house flanked by paddles.“
