Pair Papua New Guinea canoe prow carvings in pigment-painted hardwood mid-20th c

Dimensions: H: 58cm (22.8). This pair includes two carved canoe prow ornaments from Papua New Guinea, worked in dense hardwood and decorated with natural pigment. One is shaped as a stylised crocodile, with an arched back, open snout and raised dorsal details. The other features a tall, elongated face with pierced eyes, ridged brow and spiral-carved ears.

Both are painted in red, white, black and ochre using bold linear and curved designs. The human figure includes fibre tassels threaded through pierced holes around the mouth and cheeks. Decorative patterns are carved in both relief and incision, creating contrast between surface planes and paintwork. These forms would originally have been mounted at the front of ceremonial river canoes, transforming the vessel into a moving ancestral symbol and marker of identity.

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