ID: 700001757	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1

Canoe prow (prow ornament; Unknown; undetermined; Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington, Welling...; registration number: OL000748)

Note: This unique and enigmatic sculpture is one of the treasures of the Oldman Collection. Oldman attributed the scuplture to Kaniet, a small island north of Papua New Guinea.The sculptureis generally thought to be a canoe carving, thougheven the correct orientation of the sculpture is in doubt. It is usually depicted as it is shown here, with what appears to be a central human head facing slightly upwards. When it is rotated 90 degrees, a shape that might be a seabird becomes more prominent. There is a groove along one edge, which has apparently enabled the sculpture to be glued or lashed to another piece of wood: this supports Oldman's theory that it was a part of a canoe prow.

Titles:

Canoe prow (preferred,C,U,RP,undetermined,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

prow ornament [300265068] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (Hierarchy Name), Visual Works (Hierarchy Name), <visual works (Guide Term)>, <visual works by medium or technique>, sculpture (visual work), <sculpture by location or context>)

Classifications:

vehicles / automotive (preferred)

Creation Date: undetermined

Creator Display:

Unknown [preferred,VP]

carver unknown (unknown cultural designation) [500125274]

Locations:

Current: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington, Wellington region, North Island, New Zealand) [500311561] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: registration number: OL000748

Credit Line: Oldman Collection. Gift of the New Zealand Government, 1992

Creation: Kaniet Islands [1010067] Manus province (province), Papua New Guinea (nation), Oceania (continent), World (facet) (Geographic)

Display Materials: wood

	wood (plant material) [300011914]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (Hierarchy Name), materials (matter), <materials by origin>, <biological material>, plant material, <wood and wood products>)

Dimensions: Overall: 465 (Height) x 255 (Width) mm

General Subject:

human figure(s) (preferred )

animal

Specific Subjects:

	head (representation) [300262520]
	.....(Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (Hierarchy Name), Visual Works (Hierarchy Name), <visual works (Guide Term)>, <visual works by subject type>, figures (representations)) (AAT)

	human (species) [300265711]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms, Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum), Mammalia (class), Primates (order), Hominoidea (superfamily), Hominidae (family), Homo (genus)) (AAT)

	bird (animal) [300266506]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms, Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum)) (AAT)

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Top of the CONA hierarchy

.......... Movable Work

Sources and Contributors:
Canoe prow	........ [VP]
	........ Te Papa spreadsheet (2012)
	........ Te Papa online (2000-) http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ObjectDetails.aspx?oid=133750; accessed 16 August 2912

Subject: ....... [VP]

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Te Papa online (2000-) accessed 16 August 2012