Studio: international art (34.1905)

Art in the Solomon Islands

WATER BOTTLES

to forty feet in length; on the prows and sterns
long strings of cowry shells were tied as a decora-
tion. The high prows were not only ornamental,
but served as a shelter in fighting: the canoe
being turned end on to the enemy warded off
many arrows.

Low down on the prow, just above the water-
line, was tied a grotesquely-carved little head and
shoulders made in dark wood with eyes of
pearl shell. This little "debbledebbleum," or
"totoishu," as it is also called, was placed in
such a way that it dipped into the water as the
of San Cristoval and adjacent islands, carries three canoe moved. It was supposed to smell out hidden
or four men. The sides are built of two planks; two rocks and to keep away the " kesoko," or water-
narrow planks form the bottom, which is convex, fiends, which jmight cause squalls and overturn
The stern and stem rise
upward in a graceful curve,

the gunwale, near the stem ^^^pgg^pP
and stern, many varieties ThL
of patterns are to be seen ; ^-s^Heis^!-
sharks, bonitos, and sea --

birds, formed by rmmerous ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

wards being' covered with
a hard gum which takes
many weeks to dry, ob-
tained from the fruit of the tree Parinarium Lauri- the canoe, when the fiends would devour the crew.
num. War canoes were built sometimes thirty-five Occasionally double heads were carved, in order

that a sharp look-
out could be kept
ahead and astern.

Among the many
personal ornaments
worn by the natives
of this group of
islands, perhaps the
most striking are those
for the forehead.
Some examples from
Florida and Malayta
Islands are illustrated.
They are made in two
pieces, the base or
background is usually
a circular flat piece
of Tridacna shell: on

FOOD UOWI.S

CARVED CLUB

II9