Canoe Prow Ornament
| Culture | Solomon Islands |
|---|---|
| Culture | New Georgia Island |
| Title | Canoe Prow Ornament (Toto Isu) |
| Date | 19th century |
| Medium | Wood, shell, and and pigment |
| Dimensions | Object: 11 1/4 × 4 9/16 × 6 1/4 in. (28.6 × 11.6 × 15.9 cm) Overall (includes mount): 13 5/8 × 4 9/16 × 6 1/4 in. (34.6 × 11.6 × 15.9 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 75.51 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A carved prow ornament in the form of a stylized human head topped with a hat and supported by two arms that are bent with the hands touching the chin. The eyes and decorative bands on the hat and face are articulated with delicate shell inlay.
Like the Eskenazi Museum of Art’s other toto isu, this one was lashed to the front of a war or fishing canoe, just above the waterline, serving both a protective function and perhaps as a signal to those on shore about the outcome of a raid. This prow ornament also offers an example of the shell inlay that is characteristic of much carving from the Solomon Islands. The work of a professional specialist, inlay was made from nautilus shells that were cut or broken into various shapes, each with its own name. After smoothing or serrating the edges and polishing the pieces, the specialist pressed them into paste that had been spread into grooves that had been cut into the wooden object.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Canoe Prow Ornament | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=75.51