Austral Island Paddle-Polynesian Art-Oceanic Art
It is hard not to appreciate the artistry of an old Austral Island paddle. Their beauty, craftsmanship and fine detail make them a classic of Oceanic art. Yes, by and large the majority of these are very early made for sale items sold or traded to early visitors to the islands. Yet as Rhys Richards points out in his excellent book, “The Austral Islands: History, Art and Art History” these paddles were primarily produced prior to 1842. The present example is especially refined. I love the graceful, raised ridge on the backside of the blade. The pommel is ringed by faces and as you can see some of have old damage to them. Overall, the condition is excellent. The piece dates to the mid 19th century, is 45” (114.3 cm) in length.