Tobriand Islands Canoe Splash Board

Art

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Name/Title

Tobriand Islands Canoe Splash Board

Entry/Object ID

MK_0272

Description

This carved wooden canoe splashboard from the Tobriand Islands of New Guinea, intricately combines relief carving and openwork curvilinear patterns in the typical style of the region. Functioning as a crucial element of a canoe, this splashboard is carved from a single piece of flat wood and is accented with red and black pigments. The central shaft is flanked by nearly mirroring volutes that spiral out and down on either side. Low-relief motifs and curved, abstract designs surround the painted face. At the top center, two red-painted humanoid figures sit, while a carved addition on the top left boasts three red-painted birds and two stylized snakes on the far right. Noteworthy holes along the splashboard's perimeter also would have allowed for the attachment of small white cowrie shells, serving both decorative and cosmological purposes. Originating from the Massim region in southeast Papua New Guinea, within the Trobriand Islands, this piece holds cultural significance tied to the ancient Kula exchange—a ceremonial tradition involving the exchange of shell valuables between islands. The seagoing canoes used in this exchange feature splashboards, like the one showcased, strategically placed to prevent water intake during inter-island passage. In Kilivila, the language of the Trobriand Islands, these splashboards are known as lagim, while the transversal wave split boards used to hold them up are referred to as tabuya. Complemented by the canoe paddles from the same region within the Mauna Kea's Collection, this splashboard not only reflects the craftsmanship of the Tobriand Islands but also provides viewers with an insight into the historic cultural practices and seafaring traditions of the Massim people. This treasured piece has been in the Mauna Kea's collection since 1965, when Laurance Rockefeller developed the hotel.

Artwork Details

Medium

Wood

Made/Created

Artist

Artist unknown

Place

Island/Archipelago

Trobriand Islands

Country

New Guinea

Continent

Oceania

Dimensions

Height

27 in

Width

1-1/2 in

Length

29 in

Main Tower