Canoe prow figure head (musumusu or nguzunguzu)
Late 19th to early 20th century
Object PlaceNew Georgia, Solomon Islands
Medium/TechniqueWood, shell inlay
Dimensions20.32 cm (8 in.)
Credit LineGift of William E. and Bertha L. Teel
Accession number1996.393
On View
On viewClassificationsWarfare, hunting, fishing
Collections
Small figures such as this one were tied above the waterline to the towering prows of large, plank canoes, used for warfare and fishing, which could accommodate over thirty men. The figures seem to have been associated with Kesoko, a beneficent spirit who warded off dangerous water spirits and approaching enemies. Shell inlay and incised lines on the faces reflect the designs men in the Solomon Islands painted on their faces with lime.
ProvenanceNovember 27, 1978, sold by Alain de Monbrison (dealer), Paris, to William and Bertha Teel, Marblehead, MA; 1996, partial gift of William and Bertha Teel to the MFA; 2014, acquired fully with the bequest of William Teel to the MFA. (Accession Dates: December 18, 1996 and February 26, 2014)
19th century
20th century
20th century
20th century
mid 20th century