Paddle, Raivavae, Austral Islands

Galerie Lemaire, Amsterdam
Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York, acquired from the above in 1983

The richly decorated ceremonial instruments in the form of a paddle from the Austral Islands are inspired by the functional tools of maritime travel, which are imbued with meaning for their seafaring creators. Likely used as wands during ceremonial dances, the two Austral paddles from the Rosman-Rubel collection come from the small island of Raivavae and are particularly distinguished by their tightly controlled and finely carved decoration. Here the paddle features an elegant pommel ringed by abstracted faces and bodies depicting a combination of human and animal characteristics.