Solomon Islands
1850s
Wood
Height: 60½ in (153.7 cm)
Provenance: Marie Ange Ciolkowska, Paris, purchased prior to 1960
Paddles from the Solomon Islands were objects of both practical and ceremonial significance within a maritime culture where canoe travel, fishing, and inter-island exchange were central to daily and ritual life. Decorated examples of this type, particularly those carrying figurative finials, moved beyond the functional into the register of prestige objects associated with rank and display. The pre-1960 Paris provenance places this piece within the same early collection as a related Santa Cruz paddle, suggesting a sustained engagement with Pacific material by the same collector.
The paddle is surmounted by a small carved bird figure at the apex of the shaft, a distinctive feature that elevates this example above the standard canoe paddle form. The blade tapers symmetrically to a point, the wood carrying a warm patina consistent with age and handling. The overall form is clean and well-resolved, the shaft transitioning naturally from finial to blade without interruption.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Solomon Islands
1850s
Wood
Height: 60½ in (153.7 cm)
Provenance: Marie Ange Ciolkowska, Paris, purchased prior to 1960
Paddles from the Solomon Islands were objects of both practical and ceremonial significance within a maritime culture where canoe travel, fishing, and inter-island exchange were central to daily and ritual life. Decorated examples of this type, particularly those carrying figurative finials, moved beyond the functional into the register of prestige objects associated with rank and display. The pre-1960 Paris provenance places this piece within the same early collection as a related Santa Cruz paddle, suggesting a sustained engagement with Pacific material by the same collector.
The paddle is surmounted by a small carved bird figure at the apex of the shaft, a distinctive feature that elevates this example above the standard canoe paddle form. The blade tapers symmetrically to a point, the wood carrying a warm patina consistent with age and handling. The overall form is clean and well-resolved, the shaft transitioning naturally from finial to blade without interruption.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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