A Fine Old New Guinea Canoe Paddle Lake Sentani Area West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

A Fine Old New Guinea Canoe Paddle Lake Sentani Area West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

A finely carved old Paddle from Asei Village on Lake Sentani on the North Coast of West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia. Women’s paddles on Lake Sentani are the most beautifully decorated on the slender blade of the paddle. Carved from a single piece of hardwood and the leaf-shaped paddle blade is carved in low-relief stylized fish and other clan designs. Each clan has specific designs and anyone from Lake Sentani would know the clan & family that the paddle belonged to.  In the 1980’s I spent months staying in villages on and around Lake Sentani, the people are very warm, kind, and generous when staying in their homes. I bought many old paddles during my time there, Paddles are very much a technology that was in use to propel small canoes for fishing or traveling from village to village on the Lake.  Lake Sentani art is very special in that it is quite different than other areas of the island of New Guinea, their art is soft, gentle, and not aggressive like other art areas of New Guinea like the Sepik or Asmat.   Please have a look at the Lake Sentani Artworks on my website.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art 

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in 1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

INQUIRE HERE

If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.