Lot 249
Oceania, Melanesia, Solomon Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A stunning wood canoe prow ornament known as an nguzu nguzu, also called musu musu, or toto isu - the traditional canoe figurehead of the Solomon Islands believed to hold apotropaic powers - embellished with inlaid nacre shell and sky-blue glass beads. Once believed to act as a supernatural protector during voyages, the figure presents an elongated visage comprised of raised brows above nacre-shell inlay eyes with blue bead pupils, a sloped nose with flared nostrils, and a projecting mouth with parted, smiling lips displaying 2 rows of teeth. Zigzag nacre shell inlays surround the eyes, extend upward from the nose, and create a chinstrap below the mouth, all adding definition to his facial features. The stylized head is crowned by a rounded headdress or coiffure, sitting high above the scroll-form ears with billowing, shell-inlay ornaments. Size: 6.9" L x 4.6" W x 9.9" H (17.5 cm x 11.7 cm x 25.1 cm)
His shoulders and arms are also depicted as he bends both arms at the elbows and holds a petite head with both hands beneath his chin. A projecting tab with 3 square apertures allows the piece to be attached at the waterline of the canoe, dipping in the sea as the vessel rides the waves.
Pam McClusky, Oliver E. and Pamela F. Cobb Curator of African and Oceanic Art at the Seattle Art Museum, describes the tradition of nguzu nguzu saying, "It's a spirit who stares us down, with wide open eyes, while carefully holding a man's head. Originally, this spirit was placed as the guardian of a canoe carrying up to 35 men into warfare, or on a quest to chase schools of bonito fish. The stare would have cut through the waves at the prow of the canoe and served to protect the canoe from enemies, difficult waters, or to help keep track of the silvery blue bonito who are known for their speed and unpredictability. Just as this face is adorned with exquisite patterns of shell inlay, so too was the entire canoe, which had towering prows and sterns. Moving into the 21st century, Solomon Islanders continue to create canoes that have guardian prows and vivid decoration that make for astonishing arrivals at festivals."
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976.351, Seattle Art Museum, 18.17.1443, and Baltimore Museum of Art, 1955.251.122. A similar nguzu nguzu canoe prow ornament of a more petite scale at Sotheby's Paris hammered for 32,500 Euros on June 22, 2016 (lot 23, sale number pf1608).
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, before 2010; ex-William Jamieson collection, Toronto, Canada; Ex-Niagara Falls Museum
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#173734
- Condition: Stable hairline fissures to inlays in earrings and some chipping and minor losses to a few other inlays. Some nicks and abrasions to surface of wood, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice patina and impressively preserved details.
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