Wooden canoe prow ornament

Beard
While the object’s significance remains a mystery, it is clear from the pin on its base that it was fitted to a boat. At the top, the ornament curves elegantly round. Most astonishing, however, is the face above the barbs. It is painted red, with a black beard and moustache. It is probably not meant to depict a Papuan. They are known to have preferred shaving around this time, using sharp shells. By contrast, European men often wore a beard and moustache. It is therefore quite possible that this was intended as a gift for the latest European expedition, and that the carving portrays a member of the party.

KNAG
The ornament was brought to the Netherlands by the Southwest New Guinea expedition. This expedition sailed up the North River in 1904-1905 in an attempt to reach New Guinea’s central highlands. It was organised by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society (Koninklijk Nederlands Aardrijkskundig Genootschap - KNAG). Members of the party collected objects from the people they encountered on the way. Many of the items acquired by expedition members found their way into the ethnographical collection of Amsterdam’s Artis zoo. Eventually, Artis passed these on to the Colonial Museum, the predecessor of today’s Tropenmuseum. In fact, the A in the object number signifies Artis.

circa 110 x 18cm (43 5/16 x 7 1/16in.)

Source: collectie.tropenmuseum.nl