New Caledonia, Kanak
Circa 1800
Gourd, twisted fiber
Height: 15½ in (39.4 cm)
Provenance: English trade; early illegible label present
Gourd containers were used among the Kanak people of New Caledonia to carry water and store preserved foods, the natural form of the vessel well suited to daily use. The cover encircling this example is constructed from heavy twisted cordage worked in an open diamond lattice, the crossings bound at each node to hold the structure against the near-spherical body. This form of fiber work reflects a confident command of technique characteristic of Kanak material culture.
The gourd retains its natural neck opening and the fiber cover remains intact, the cordage darkened to a deep warm brown through age and handling. The lattice is organized in broad diagonal axes that intersect at regular intervals across the body, producing a geometric surface that is functional in its grip and considered in its patterning. The early illegible label suggests the piece entered English collections during the active period of Pacific trade in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
New Caledonia, Kanak
Circa 1800
Gourd, twisted fiber
Height: 15½ in (39.4 cm)
Provenance: English trade; early illegible label present
Gourd containers were used among the Kanak people of New Caledonia to carry water and store preserved foods, the natural form of the vessel well suited to daily use. The cover encircling this example is constructed from heavy twisted cordage worked in an open diamond lattice, the crossings bound at each node to hold the structure against the near-spherical body. This form of fiber work reflects a confident command of technique characteristic of Kanak material culture.
The gourd retains its natural neck opening and the fiber cover remains intact, the cordage darkened to a deep warm brown through age and handling. The lattice is organized in broad diagonal axes that intersect at regular intervals across the body, producing a geometric surface that is functional in its grip and considered in its patterning. The early illegible label suggests the piece entered English collections during the active period of Pacific trade in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
