Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Among the people of the Trobriand Islands elaborately carved canoes are objects of great importance. These canoes are used to travel between islands for ceremonial exchanges. It was believed that the best canoes would so impress trading partners with their aesthetic beauty that it would lead to better trading outcomes.

Motifs on both the splash board and the prow include geometric designs, birds, and faces which together create a protective amulet to ensure the success and return of the canoe. Because of the important role these canoes play, the master carvers who create them have a privileged place within society.

Meant to be seen from a great distance, the prow and splash board were both originally painted, typically with black, red, and white. As a result of time and use, only traces of pigment remain on this example.