Canoe prow figure (Nguzu Nguzu)
Date19th century
Maker
Melanesian
Label TextOriginally, this figure was a prominent guardian for a canoe frequently filled with men whose faces were similarly decorated with swirls of paint and large ear ornaments. The flashing white inlay comes from cut pieces of chambered-nautilus shell. Concentrating on the task at hand, this figure never closes his eyes. Up to thirty-five men would occupy the canoe and rely on this figure to guide them through unknown waters, reefs, tight passages, and fend off enemy forces that lived in the deep.
Object number81.17.1443
ProvenanceCollection of John Wise (1902-1981), New York, by 1962; sold to Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, Feb. 1962
Photo CreditPhoto: Paul Macapia
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Hero/Antihero, Dec. 21, 2002 - Aug. 17, 2003.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Our Blue Planet: Global Visions of Water, Mar. 18 - May 30, 2022.
Published ReferencesKahn, Miriam. "Art of Oceania, Mesoamerica, and the Andes." In Selected Works, pp. 55-58. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1991; p. 57, reproduced.Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
Dimensions10 5/8 x 7 7/8 in. (26.99 x 20 cm)
L.: 5 in.
MediumWood, nautilus shell
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