‘au'au or pihao canoe prow ornament
French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands
Wood. H 23 cm
Before 1800
Long-term loan by Eugène Pittard in 1921; given by his son Jean-Jacques in 1966
MEG Inv. ETHOC 008937
Notice
This prow ornament was attached to the front of the canoe on special occasions by means of two holes on either side of the figure, and was believed to protect the sailors.
This piece is of exceptional quality and is considered one of the most original of the twenty-eight known specimens in collections the world over.
Bibliography
- FUERST, René. 1988. Navigateurs des mers du Sud. Catalogue d'exposition. Genève: Musée d'ethnographie., 134-135
- Gunn, Michael. 2014. Atua: Sacred Gods from Polynesia. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 132-135
- Colombo Dougoud, Roberta. 2014. Les collections Océanie. In: Regards sur les collections. Genève: Musée d'ethnographie de Genève, 236-237
© 2015 Musée d'ethnographie, Genève
Ville de Genève, Département de la culture et du sport