Tribal Art & Antiquities - 20th September 2017
Lot 643
An Austral Islands paddle Polynesia wood with all over carved decoration of X's
Estimate £1,000 - £1,500 | Hammer £6500
+ Buyers Premium
Description
An Austral Islands paddle
Polynesia
wood with all over carved decoration of X's, crescents and sun motifs, with a leaf shape blade and a square shaft with a T shape finial carved and pierced ten dancing girls with notched decoration to the tops of their heads and three sharing a sun motif, early 19th century,
118cm long.
Provenance
Thomas Laslett (1811 - 1887) and thence by descent.
Thomas Laslett (1811 - 1887) started his career as a carpenter on the HMS Buffalo to New Zealand 1833 - 1834, assisting the surveyors. He subsequently became the Timber Inspector for the Admiralty on three more voyages to New Zealand, 1837 - 38, 1839 - 41 and 1841 - 43. This was collected by him on these timber gathering expeditions.