Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands
19th century
Wood
Height: 72 in (182.9 cm)
Provenance: Marie Ange Ciolkowska, Paris, purchased prior to 1960
Paddles from the Santa Cruz Islands were among the most visually distinctive objects produced in the southwestern Pacific, their elongated lanceolate blades serving as surfaces for carved and incised decoration that encoded cultural and ceremonial meaning. Objects of this type circulated within ceremonial contexts as well as practical ones, their scale and elaboration marking them as objects of prestige beyond everyday use. The Paris provenance, acquired before 1960, places this piece within the generation of European collections that formed during the mid-twentieth century engagement with Pacific material.
The blade tapers to a fine point at both ends, the form clean and resolved, with the shaft rising from the upper blade in a continuous line. The surface carries incised imagery consistent with Santa Cruz decorative traditions, the details visible across the face of the blade. The overall condition and patina are consistent with age and handling over a long period of careful ownership.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands
19th century
Wood
Height: 72 in (182.9 cm)
Provenance: Marie Ange Ciolkowska, Paris, purchased prior to 1960
Paddles from the Santa Cruz Islands were among the most visually distinctive objects produced in the southwestern Pacific, their elongated lanceolate blades serving as surfaces for carved and incised decoration that encoded cultural and ceremonial meaning. Objects of this type circulated within ceremonial contexts as well as practical ones, their scale and elaboration marking them as objects of prestige beyond everyday use. The Paris provenance, acquired before 1960, places this piece within the generation of European collections that formed during the mid-twentieth century engagement with Pacific material.
The blade tapers to a fine point at both ends, the form clean and resolved, with the shaft rising from the upper blade in a continuous line. The surface carries incised imagery consistent with Santa Cruz decorative traditions, the details visible across the face of the blade. The overall condition and patina are consistent with age and handling over a long period of careful ownership.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
