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Cook Islands, northern group, Polynesia
Mid-19th century
Wood, shell inlay, vegetable fiber
Length: 18 1/2 in. (47 cm)
Provenance: Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, London; Bonhams San Francisco, February 12, 2010, Lot 4054; Scott Duggleby, Dallas
Canoe models from the northern Cook Islands are among the most technically refined miniature objects produced in Polynesia, characterized by their shell-inlaid hull decoration and fine fiber lashing work. Full-scale canoes were central to life across the northern Cook Islands group, used for inter-island travel, fishing, and trade. Models of this type retain the formal and decorative vocabulary of their full-scale counterparts and were produced for exchange and collection.
The hull is carved from wood in a double-ended form with upswept prow and stern, the exterior surface inlaid with a regular pattern of white shell discs across the full length. Vegetable fiber lashing secures the outrigger elements and interior fittings, the binding tight and well-preserved. The piece carries three-owner auction provenance including Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, London, a major collector of Oceanic material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Cook Islands, northern group, Polynesia
Mid-19th century
Wood, shell inlay, vegetable fiber
Length: 18 1/2 in. (47 cm)
Provenance: Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, London; Bonhams San Francisco, February 12, 2010, Lot 4054; Scott Duggleby, Dallas
Canoe models from the northern Cook Islands are among the most technically refined miniature objects produced in Polynesia, characterized by their shell-inlaid hull decoration and fine fiber lashing work. Full-scale canoes were central to life across the northern Cook Islands group, used for inter-island travel, fishing, and trade. Models of this type retain the formal and decorative vocabulary of their full-scale counterparts and were produced for exchange and collection.
The hull is carved from wood in a double-ended form with upswept prow and stern, the exterior surface inlaid with a regular pattern of white shell discs across the full length. Vegetable fiber lashing secures the outrigger elements and interior fittings, the binding tight and well-preserved. The piece carries three-owner auction provenance including Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, London, a major collector of Oceanic material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.