Exhibit information
- Ethnicity: Māori
- Place of creation: New Zealand
- Geographical localization of the place of creation: New Zealand
- Material: polystone (acrylic resin), plastic
- Technique: artisanal production
- Size: length – 28 cm, width – 5 cm
- Date of creation: mid-2010s
- Collector: private individual Pale Sofiya Evgenyevna (1976-2024)
- Period of use: mid-2010s
- Use: household interior item
- Condition: good
- Keywords: New Zealand, peoples of Australia and Oceania, Polynesians, Māori
Historical and cultural commentary
This canoe is covered with a rich pattern that Maori woodcarvers traditionally painted on boats. At the front there is a prow figure intended to protect people on sea voyages, at the back – a steering paddle, which was also considered sacred. The maritime craft and canoe boats were essential to the survival of the peoples of Oceania, including the Maori. Therefore the canoe in Oceania has not only practical but also cultural significance, being a sacred object surrounded by many beliefs. The Maori continuously sailed in the coastal waters of New Zealand, caught fish and sometimes hunted whales (sperm whales). Warring tribes often engaged in naval battles using canoes. Therefore the canoe holds great importance in Maori culture. For information on how important canoe boats are to Oceanians, see the works of A. Lebedeva – a research fellow of the Kunstkamera (St. Petersburg).
