Proue de pirogue, Îles Salomon

Collection privée, France, acquis auprès des descendants d'un armateur nantais

Very good condition overall. Small loss of material to the proper right part of the base. Proper right arm is broken and glued. The shell ornaments and the embedded mother of pearl are exceptionally well preserved.
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Affichant les mêmes caractéristiques stylistiques que les célèbres figures de proue nguzunguzu, cette œuvre fait partie d’un type beaucoup plus rare, élaboré autour d’une figure en pied. « La représentation du visage humain dans la sculpture des Salomon offre des traits typiquement prognathes. L’explication pourrait être trouvée dans l’un des mythes relatifs à la Création qui fait intervenir un chien. En effet ce chien mythologique était apparu aux ancêtres durant l’époque héroïque pour leur enseigner toutes choses » (Meyer, Art Océanien, 1995, p. 388). Ces organes sensoriels proéminents faisaient de cette proue un élément essentiel à la navigation « censé observer, intercepter, réagir et interagir avec n’importe quel esprit malveillant rencontré au cours du voyage » (Mélandri et Révolon, L’éclat des ombres. L’art en noir et blanc des îles Salomon, 2014, p. 124). Au sein de son corpus très restreint, cette œuvre s’apparente étroitement à la proue conservée au Musée Royal de l’Afrique centrale de Tervuren (inv. n° EO.1979.1.1382) ; toutes deux s’affirment par la conservation exceptionnelle de leurs coquillages ovula ovum ornant le sommet de la construction, ainsi que par leurs incrustations de nacre, dont l’éclat contraste avec la profondeur de la patine sombre.

Bearing the same stylistic characteristics as the famous nguzunguzu figureheads, this sculpture is part of a much rarer type, developed around a standing figure. "The representation of the human face in Solomon sculpture offers typically prognathic features. The explanation for this may lie in one of the myths of creation that involves a dog. Indeed this mythological dog had appeared to the ancestors during the heroic era to teach them all things” (Meyer, Art Océanien, 1995, p. 388). These prominent sensory organs made this figurehead an essential piece of navigational equipment "supposed to observe, intercept, react and interact with any evil spirit encountered during the journey" (Mélandri and Révolon, L’éclat des ombres. L’art en noir et blanc des îles Salomon, 2014, p. 124).

A part of a very narrow body of work, this work closely resembles the figurehead kept in the Royal Museum of Central Africa of Tervuren (inv. No EO.1979.1.1382) ; both stand out for the exceptional state of conservation of their ovula ovum shells adorning the top of the structure, as well as by their mother-of-pearl inlays, the brightness of which contrasts with the depth of the dark patina.