Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Solid wood tapered carving of crocodile head with boar snout and teeth. Features are eyes, snout, teeth, ears. Behind head is carved handle shape. On either side of prow is traditional Sepik carved designs. Under one eye - 2 carved symbol - one star shaped, other oval.
Canoe Prow
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Randy Batista

Canoe Prow

Maker Iatmul , Korogo village
Date20th century
Place of originAsia
MediumWood
Dimensions39 1/2 x 15 1/4 x 8 in. (100.3 x 38.7 x 20.3 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Dr. Samuel Spring
Object numberS85-SPNG-G204
Collections
Visual DescriptionSolid wood tapered carving of crocodile head with boar snout and teeth. Features are eyes, snout, teeth, ears. Behind head is carved handle shape. On either side of prow is traditional Sepik carved designs. Under one eye - 2 carved symbol - one star shaped, other oval.
Traditional elongated facial mask with long nose pierced at septum with boar tusk extending to chin where bird protrudes down. Face surrounded by shells embedded in clay. Shells on nose extension. Human hair at top of head beneath plaited raffia loop for hanging. Small inset shells for eyes underneath carved protruding brows. Dark stain. Painted traditional designs.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Naturalistic rendering of a crocodile head with some inscribed details including eye and teeth. Wood shows considerable weathering.
Canoe Prow
Sepik River
20th century
Woven basketry cone shaped from topped with traditional Sepik human head made of clay and painted designs. Large shell eyes, typical nose and protruding tongue. Hair beard. Face encircled in shells, embedded with clay. On basketry torso is the "dual" ancestor's face mocking the larger predominate face. Raffia fringe extends from bottom. Handle on side and back. Wood plug earring. Raffia fringe covers armholes inside. Striped design in red, black and yellow.
Dual ancestral costume
Iatmul
20th century
Body masquerade woven(?) horizontally of woven rattan. Pig face with snout from which feathers, twine and fabric dangle. Cowrie shell eyes. Headdress of face. Earrings ? object in nose dangle from ears. Tusks extending from one side of mouth. Rows of cassowary feathers extend length of body and fringe hangs at bottom. Highlighted with earth pigment.
Pig dance costume
Iatmul
20th century
Very long traditional shaped mask with long nose attached to chin. Bird head extending from chin. Conical eyes with nassa shells. High forehead. Tusks extending either side of nose.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Helmet mask depicting a composite boar and bird, made of wood and rattan, lined with cloth. The face has intricate openwork carving and is painted with fine lines in red, and black pigments over a white ground. A ruff of coconut fibers encircling back of head and fringe on chin. Snout of warthog has a bird with long bill, which is broken and glued together. Eyes of warthog and bird are made of snail shells (opercula). Trade cloth liner is made of two pieces of different floral patterns.
Boar Mask
Papua New Guinea
early-mid 20th century
Found wood carved in form of a reptilian creature with large ears, protruding teeth, long tail, a dorsal crest and talons. Body is covered with red glossy paint and small light-colored dots, snout is yellow, eyes are inset blue glass disks. Signed "OL" in black on right flank.
Swamp Lizard
O. L. Samuels
undated
Finely woven rattan body costume with hanging fiber. Wings and head made from plaited string. Long neck. Design painted on predominately black body. Shell eye. Cassowary feathers extend down sides and ridge of back. Dangling twine from circular disc ears.
Cassowary Dance Costume
Iatmul
20th century
Mask in form of antelope with slender snout with carved teeth, domed head, long ears, inward curving spiraling horns, and pigment.
Antelope Headdress (agira agbo)
Yoruba Artist
mid 20th century
A grey, textured bear mask features large, pointed red ears on either side. It has a prominent snout, cut-out eye holes, and an open mouth revealing teeth.
Mask - bear
Oaxacan (Ecuador)
undated
Animal effigy, probably dog or other canine, triangular head, pointy snout with teeth apparently bared, poked holes for eyes, small nubbins for ears, angular neck attaching tubular body (broken) with a large hole at each shoulder.
Effigy Figure
Costa Rican Artist
1-500
Dark statue of a boar standing on a rectangular base. It features a rotund body, a long, tapered snout, small ears, and a short, curled tail.
Boar
Indian Artist
20th Century

Collections research is ongoing. Information provided on the Harn’s website about collection objects may be updated, revised, or enhanced at any time.

Harn
Copyright © Harn
null