Accession No

E 1905.258 B


Description

Model Canoe Prow Breakwater - Carved wood; rectangular lower section with two opposing semicircular projections above, one smaller than the other. Carved in low relief on one side with black and white linear and spiral designs. Reverse unstained with spiral motif border at top and two linear incisions down rectangular section.


Place

Oceania; Melanesia; Papua New Guinea; Milne Bay Province; Massim; Marshall Bennett Islands; Kwaiawata Island


Period


Source

Cooke Daniels, William (Major) [donor]; Seligman, Charles Gabriel (Dr) [acting donor]; Daniels Ethnographical Expedition [collector]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

E 1905.258 B; MAA: AR 1905.889; 35


Cultural Affliation

Kwaiawata


Material

Wood; Pigment


Local Term


Measurements

94mm x 125mm


Events

Description (Labels & Markings)
Expedition inscription on reverse of object reads: [Handwritten in pencil by Charles Seligman and partially obscured by museum label:] '35 ...awata'.

Museum label adhered to reverse of object reads: [Handwritten in black ink:] 'Model canoe prow. Kwaiawata. N.G. Major W. Cooke Daniels. 1905.258(2).'
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: heather donoghue


Context (References)
Model of a 'rajim' canoe prow breakwater. Newton 'Massim: Art of the Massim Area, New Guinea' (1975:8-9) notes that type 2 carvings, which this model represents, are 'found throughout the Massim area, except in the East Cape and the d'Entrecasteaux.'
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: heather donoghue


Context (Field collection)
Collected during the Daniels Ethnographical Expedition to British New Guinea, led by Major William Cooke Daniels and Dr. Charles Seligman, accompanied by Dr. Walter Mersh Strong and Mr A.H. Dunning, 1903-1904.

Cooke Daniels visited Kwaiawata Island between 27 and 29 August 1904 returning, along with Seligman and Dunning, between 30 and 31 August 1904.
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: heather donoghue


Context (Other)
Catalogue card 1 reads: [Handwritten in black ink:] 'E.1905.258, (1). MELANESIA. NEW GUINEA. Iwa. Model of canoe prow. ['-Iwa' added in black ball point] Donor [underlined]. Major W. Cooke Daniels. R.1906 ['5' crossed out in black ball point and replaced with '6']. 888.'; [later addition handwritten in black ball point:] '(2) " [model of a canoe prow] - Kwaiawata (3) " [model of a canoe prow] - Kwaiawata (4) " [model of a canoe prow] ?Kwaiawata. Collected by Cooke-Daniels Ethnographical Expedition 1903'; [later addition handwritten in blue ball point:] 'Marshall Bennetts'. [Red circular sticker top right of card.]
Catalogue card 2 reads: [Handwritten in black ink:] 'E.1905.258, (2) MELANESIA. NEW GUINEA. Kwaiwata I. Model of Canoe prow. Donor [underlined]. Major W. Cooke Daniels. R.1906 ['5' crossed out in black ball point and replaced with '6']. 889.'; [later addition handwritten in black ball point:] 'carved and decorated with red and white paint Collected by Cooke-Daniels Ethnographical Expedition 1903'.; [later addition handwritten in black ball point - different hand to above:] 'MARSHALL BENNETTS. MASSIM'. ['5' written in top right of card in blue ball point.]
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: heather donoghue


Description (Physical description)
Carved wooden model canoe breakwater; rectangular lower section with two opposing semicircular projections above, one smaller than the other. Projections and mid section carved in low relief on one side with a series of linear and spiral designs; vertical bands with incised zigzags run length of board. Borders and central band in white pigment with two vertical linear bands in black. Red resin on base. Reverse unstained with spiral motif border at top and two deep linear incisions down each side of rectangular section.
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: heather donoghue


Context (Field collection)
Appears as item 35 on Seligman's catalogue of objects donated to the museum on behalf of William Cooke Daniels, see MAA Archive OA2/12/9: 'Prow Ornaments from model canoes, Kwaiawata.' Following the expedition, Seligman catalogued and donated the collections on the understanding they were a gift from Cooke Daniels, the expedition's primary funder.
Event Date 10/4/2017
Author: Heather Donoghue


FM:268848

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