Paddle
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: LARGE LEAF SHAPED PADDLE WITH A LONG HANDLE ENDING IN A WIDER ROUNDED GRIP WHICH IS COVERED WITH CARVED FACES. THE ENTIRE PADDLE IS COVERED WITH INTRICATELY CARVED GEOMETRIC DESIGNS. EXHIBITED MAGNIFICENT VOYAGERS, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 1985-86. EXAMINED AND SAMPLED BY KENNETH P. EMORY, JUNE 1941.
label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "(THIS INFORMATION GIVEN BY K. P. EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, 6/24/41). ILLUS.: P.162, PL. 208, CELEBRATIONS CATALOGUE, SMITHSONIAN PRESS, 1982. LOANED TO RENWICK GALLERY 2/18/82. RETURNED 6/1983. [Text from Celebrations catalogue has been added to back of card:] CEREMONIAL PADDLE, BEFORE 1841, RAIVAVAE, AUSTRAL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA. WOOD. 47 1/8 X 13 X 4 (119.7 X 33 X 10.2). THE PRODUCTION OF INTRICATEDLY CARVED CEREMONIAL PADDLES ON RAIVAVAE WAS A SPECIALIZED OCCUPATION. COMBINING INCISING AND RELIEF CARVING, DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE PRIMARILY GEOMETRIC WITH ABSTRACT ANTHROPOMORPHIC FIGURES AT THE TERMINALS. THESE PADDLES ARE TOO FRAGILE FOR USE IN CANOES. IT IS POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WERE USED IN DANCES IN VIEW OF THEIR SIMILARITY TO THE DANCE PADDLES OF TONGA AND EASTER ISLAND. THSE PADDLES WERE A FAVORITE CURIO OF VISITING WHALERS AND MANY WERE MADE FOR SALE."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 3 Feb 2022
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Raivavae Island, Austral Islands, France, Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Austral
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E3714-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Paddle
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 119.5 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 31.1 cm