Canoe prow ornament · Papua New Guinea, Iatmul · ID: 3051758
Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany
German Private Collection, Munich
Description
wood, sago palm bark, palm wood, rattan, cassowary feathers, pigments, cowries, brittle due to age
The Iatmul attached such ornaments vertically to the prow of their large war canoes when they went on a campaign. The warriors were distributed among the canoes according to clan affiliation. Accordingly, the mask face on the attachment represents a clan-specific “wagen” spirit.
Otto Reche reports that these decorative shields were already mentioned in the records of the 1886 expedition. The large, grimacing painted shields were intended to frighten enemies from afar.
The object Canoe prow ornament with the object ID 3051758 was part of the auction Auction 104 on April 12, 2025. The object with the lot number 213 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200 with an asking price of EUR 500.
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Comparing literature
Greub, Suzanne (ed.), Kunst am Sepik, Basel 1985, ill. 73 Reche, Otto, Der Kaiserin-Augusta-Fluss, Hamburg 1913, p. 290 ff.