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Austral island paddle, Ra'ivavae

Austral Islands, Ra'ivavae, Central Polynesia.
Acquired from a private French collection.
Early 19th Century.Wood
Height. 80 cm.

Literature:
Anderson on Cook's 3rd voyage ( Beaglehole 1967 II : 970 ) observed that the canoes of 'Tupua'I' were 'managed with small paddles whose blades were nearly round'. However, in 1891 Stolpe notes that the decorated paddles are too frail for practical use and concludes that they must have historically had a ceremonial purpose possibly in dances. Despite the demand for these paddles by early collectors of exotic curiosities little information can be found as to their original use. 
By the end of the 19th century the paddles were made often with longer handles and larger blades, in response to a growing demand from passing whaling ships and voyagers, but as evidenced by Anderson, the Austral Islands paddle's general form and decoration is traditional, and was not solely a response to a ready tourist market. 

Description / Expertise
An Austral Islands Ceremonial Paddle carved from ‘Tamau’ wood covered with 
incised geometric designs, the flaring circular terminal with seven stylised human 
figures 
Fine old dark and shiny patina 
Early 19th Century 

Pagaie cérémonielle - ref : 568
Pagaie sculptée sur toute sa surface de décor à motifs géométriques en forme de chevrons
Au sommet le manche est surmonté d'une frise circulaire sculptée de figures féminines stylisées dans la même position classique que la déesse Arununa.

Le haut du corps solidement positionné, les genoux et les coudes repliés.
Bois de cocotier.(cocos nucifera)
Hauteur: 1,15m.
Epoque début du XIXème.
Ile Ra'ivavae. Iles Australes

Littérature: 
Anthony.JP MEYER "Oceanic Art" page 536 n°619
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève."Bois sculptés des mers du sud" planche 56

"Paddles of this highly decorated kind were perhaps the most collected objects in the Pacific in the first half of the nineteenth century. Well over one thousand exist in collections, and research by Rhys Richards has shown that they were made during a dynamic period of activity by Ra'ivavae carvers around 1820-1840. None can be reliably dated to earlier than this."

"it is possible, after conversion to christianity and the cessation of manufacture of drums and other religious objects, that carvers turned their hands to paddles to supply a local demand for exchange valuables and a European demand for curios."

Hooper
2006 Pacifuc Encounters: Art and divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860
London, British Museum

"The carved paddles which are so much admired are carved principally with sharks teeth, shells and stones, they still preferring these rude instruments to any of European manufacture.’ Samuel Stutchbury, visitor to Ravavai in 1825.
This paddle is diminutive in size and tightly carved with designs over all surfaces.
The pommel has six female figures performing the Upa Upa dance, they wear large rosettes in their hair.
Little is known as to the function of these paddles although hundreds of examples were collected between the period of 1820 & 1835 during which time the population of the Austral islands dwindled to a handful of people.
Too delicate for actual use they may have been dance objects, it is commonly suggested they were made for a fledgling industry trading them to western travellers. However this is problematic, as the amount of paddles in museums today would have taken a large amount of skilled carvers working constantly on these objects to produce in many sizeable numbers."

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Austral Islands, Ra'ivavae, Central Polynesia.
Acquired from a private French collection.
Early 19th Century.Wood
Height. 80 cm.

Literature:
Anderson on Cook's 3rd voyage ( Beaglehole 1967 II : 970 ) observed that the canoes of 'Tupua'I' were 'managed with small paddles whose blades were nearly round'. However, in 1891 Stolpe notes that the decorated paddles are too frail for practical use and concludes that they must have historically had a ceremonial purpose possibly in dances. Despite the demand for these paddles by early collectors of exotic curiosities little information can be found as to their original use. 
By the end of the 19th century the paddles were made often with longer handles and larger blades, in response to a growing demand from passing whaling ships and voyagers, but as evidenced by Anderson, the Austral Islands paddle's general form and decoration is traditional, and was not solely a response to a ready tourist market. 

Description / Expertise
An Austral Islands Ceremonial Paddle carved from ‘Tamau’ wood covered with 
incised geometric designs, the flaring circular terminal with seven stylised human 
figures 
Fine old dark and shiny patina 
Early 19th Century 

Pagaie cérémonielle - ref : 568
Pagaie sculptée sur toute sa surface de décor à motifs géométriques en forme de chevrons
Au sommet le manche est surmonté d'une frise circulaire sculptée de figures féminines stylisées dans la même position classique que la déesse Arununa.

Le haut du corps solidement positionné, les genoux et les coudes repliés.
Bois de cocotier.(cocos nucifera)
Hauteur: 1,15m.
Epoque début du XIXème.
Ile Ra'ivavae. Iles Australes

Littérature: 
Anthony.JP MEYER "Oceanic Art" page 536 n°619
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève."Bois sculptés des mers du sud" planche 56

"Paddles of this highly decorated kind were perhaps the most collected objects in the Pacific in the first half of the nineteenth century. Well over one thousand exist in collections, and research by Rhys Richards has shown that they were made during a dynamic period of activity by Ra'ivavae carvers around 1820-1840. None can be reliably dated to earlier than this."

"it is possible, after conversion to christianity and the cessation of manufacture of drums and other religious objects, that carvers turned their hands to paddles to supply a local demand for exchange valuables and a European demand for curios."

Hooper
2006 Pacifuc Encounters: Art and divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860
London, British Museum

"The carved paddles which are so much admired are carved principally with sharks teeth, shells and stones, they still preferring these rude instruments to any of European manufacture.’ Samuel Stutchbury, visitor to Ravavai in 1825.
This paddle is diminutive in size and tightly carved with designs over all surfaces.
The pommel has six female figures performing the Upa Upa dance, they wear large rosettes in their hair.
Little is known as to the function of these paddles although hundreds of examples were collected between the period of 1820 & 1835 during which time the population of the Austral islands dwindled to a handful of people.
Too delicate for actual use they may have been dance objects, it is commonly suggested they were made for a fledgling industry trading them to western travellers. However this is problematic, as the amount of paddles in museums today would have taken a large amount of skilled carvers working constantly on these objects to produce in many sizeable numbers."