Title
Vala saavi (canoe prow 'shield’)
mid 20th century
collected 1965
Artist
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Details
- Other Titles
- Canoe prow ornament for head hunting raids
Savi (canoe prow mask)
Bowi sabi
Bowi savi - Place where the work was made
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Yentchan Village
→
Middle Sepik River
→
East Sepik Province
→
Papua New Guinea
- Cultural origin
- Iatmul people
- Dates
- mid 20th century
collected 1965 - Media category
- Sculpture
- Materials used
- sago palm petioles, wood, shell fragments, natural pigments, cassowary feathers (Casuarius), cane
- Dimensions
- 91.0 x 68.0 x 14.0 cm (excluding feathers)
- Credit
- Purchased 1965
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 377.1994
- Copyright
- Artist information
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attrib. Warambu Kasagaui
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
Along the reaches of the Middle and Upper Sepik River, 'shields' were affixed to the prows of 'kauvala' (war canoes), both to protect warriors from stray arrows and spears and to frighten enemies. Made from the tough petioles of the sago palm set into a framework of thick rattan cane, the surface of this 'vala saavi' is painted with white, black and ochre pigments and fringed with 'tuvu' (cassowary feathers).
A wooden mask is attached to the lower section of the sago bark panels. Spiral motifs painted across the chin of the mask are said to represent conus shells, while the red, black and white chevrons at the top of the shield possibly depict the waves and ripples of the river.
[entry from Exhibition Guide for 'Melanesian art: redux', 2018, cat no 21]
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Melanesian art: redux, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Nov 2018–17 Feb 2019