Spirit Canoe
ClassificationsSculpture
Culture
Iatmul
Date20th Century
Made AtEast Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumWood and shell
Dimensions11 9/16 × 129 3/8 × 13 1/8 in., 2508.8 oz. (29.4 × 328.6 × 33.3 cm, 71.123 kg.)
Credit LineGift of Elaine Irell
Object number95.31.1
DescriptionTo many Pacific Islanders, canoes are more than a means of travel. The Itamul people of Papua New Guinea's middle Sepik River region believe that, canoes carry their ancestros to the spirit world. This elaborately carved example with a crocodile-shaped prow, represents one such journey for four ancestors anda pig that they are bringing with them. The hull of the canoe is decorated with mysterious faces and creatures, symbolizing that the canoe itself is a vessel empowered by spirits.On View
Not on view
20th Century
mid 20th century
19th Century
