Canoe Prow
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1840
name: label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: ELABORATELY CARVED CANOE PROW, TAUIHU, COVERED WITH A POWDERY RED OCHRE. VARIOUS FIGURES ARE DEPICTED, THE MOST PROMINANT IS THE FORWARD THRUSTING FIGURE WITH A PROTRUDING TONGUE AND TWO LEGS, WHICH POSSIBLY REPRESENTS TŪMATAUENGA, THE MAORI GOD (ATUA) OF WAR. A CENTER FIGURE IS SEEN BETWEEN TWO SPIRALS, ANOTHER FIGURE BEHIND THE BACKBOARD, AND ONE LYING AT THE BASE. A SERIES OF SMALL FIGURES ARE CARVED AROUND THE BASE. EXHIBITED MAGNIFICENT VOYAGERS, NATIONAL MUSUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 1985-86. EXHIBITED SITES "MAGNIFICENT VOYAGERS," 1987-89. EXHIBITED NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, 4/24/1968-7/29/1968.
label: Notes
content: From card: "'Prow of war canoe (illu-uaca) obtained at the Bay Of Islands,' according to Wilkes in U.S. Ex. Ex. Vol. III, 1846, p. 384. 'This prow was elaborately carved was accidentally seen in some out-of-the way storehouse it had belonged to the late Chief Kiwikiwi and was tabooed in the first degree... Notwithstanding all its sacredness it was sold. . . No native could be found willing to incur the penalty of the taboo by carrying it. . . Old Kawiti the chief... consented to move it... and to come. . . and paint it red after the native fashion." (abbreviated). D.R. Simmons, Nov. 1974: The prow belonged to Kiwikiwi who was probably of the Ngati Tawake sub-tribe of Ngapuhi. It is a standard canoe prow lacking arms and still painted red. The style of carving is East Coast. It could have been carved in the Whakatane-East Cape area. It has no details to suggest Bay of Islands manufacture. It is possible that it was carved at the Bay by an East Coast carver. Design: Forward thrusting figure, centre figure between two spirals, figure behind backboard, lying figure at base, series of small figures alone base. Buttocks of main figure decorated with planed spirals."
label: Notes
content: The term for war canoe as listed on the catalogue card, "illu-uaca", comes from the entry on the canoe prow in the handwritten Peale catalogue. The original Peale catalogue entry appears to call this "illu-vaka"; the second half of the word is definitely written as "vaka" in the Peale catalogue. The Maori term for war canoe is generally written today as Waka (canoe) taua. The "w" in the word waka is generally pronounced to sound similar to a "v". In 1973, D. R. Simmons, Curator, Auckland Institute and Museum, Auckland, New Zealand, noted that "illu-vaca" probably would more correctly be ihu waka, or tauihu waka. Tauihu is the Maori word for the prow of the Maori canoe. Canoe prow is discussed on p. 407 and illustrated on p. 438 of Wilkes, Charles. Narrative of the United States exploring expedition. During the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, Vol. II. Caption in publication illustration refers to it as an "ihu."
label: Notes
content: On p. 20 of National Institute for the Promotion of Science, Washington, D.C. A Popular Catalogue of the Extraordinary Curiosities In the National Institute, Arranged In the Building Belonging to the Patent Office. Washington: A. Hunter, 1855, Peale # 502 is identified as"Prow of a war canoe curiously carved, supposed to be very efficient after it has been pow wowed [sic] over by the priest."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 25 Apr 2022
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) / Bay of Islands, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Maori
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: E3790-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Canoe Prow
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 110 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 44.5 cm
label: Height - Object
content: 42 cm
label: Length - Object
content: 110 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 44.54 cm
label: Height - Object
content: 42 cm