Dugout canoe - Lot 28

Dugout canoe Humboldt Bay, Irian Jaya, New Guinea Wood and pigments L. 37 cm Provenance : Ex Peter Hallinan Collection, Sydney, Australia (H1390) Ex Sotheby's London, The Peter Hallinan Collection of Melanesian Art, December 7, 1992, lot7 Ex Gilbert Hampden Manley collection, London (1931-2008) Ex Christie's Paris, December 4, 2008, lot n°4 This stylized bird with its long, pointed beak is adorned with engraved and painted motifs in black and red pigments running the entire length of the sculpture. An inventory number written in white ink, H1390, is visible on one side of the sculpture. On the northwest coast of New Guinea, as in most island groups across Oceania, pirogues are both functional (navigation, fishing, transport) and sacred. The figurehead, known as the mani in the Humboldt Bay region, was attached to the front of the pirogue. This sculpture was invested with apotropaic power, charged with protecting the crew during their voyage. The carved bird was perched at the highest point of the pirogue, symbolically allowing the crew to see into the distance, thus ensuring safe navigation. Birds are significant symbols throughout Oceania, as they are expert navigators who have guided travellers across the Pacific for centuries. Condition report: Some pigment loss, color fading and soiling, consistent with age and use