A picture of the bow or front of the canoe. In Hawaiian language it is referred to as the ihu wa'a. The kupe ihu or bow cover and pale kai, splash guard is decorated with traditional Papua New Guinea carving design. The pale kai is topped with a beautiful piece of curly koa. Below, hand made natural fiber tassels decorate both sides of the front third of the wa'a. (A common decoration found in areas in the South Pacific.)
Bamboo slats are lashed over the 'iako creating extra storage space. (Very common feature found on South Pacific canoes.)
The carving on the side of the wa'a represents the island of Umboi. A small island off the North coast of Papua New Guinea, part of the Morobe province.
Woods used; The wa'a is made from a single jackfruit tree. The mo'o or gunnels are made from a wood called poplar. The 'iako is made out of kauri pine laminated around a 1/4" strip of poplar and the ama is made from the trunk of a wiliwili tree.
The two matching paddles are also made by laminating kauri and poplar...in my opinion, a beautiful combination of colors.
From bow to stern the wa'a is 12' long. The ama is 8' long.
This piece is a model and not intended for use.
Below...The sticks that connect the 'iako to the ama (18 of them) are engraved with the names of Pacific nations. The intent is to celebrate all cultures of the outrigger.
If you have questions or if you just want to talk story about Pacific canoes please feel free to contact me via clicking on the view my complete profile link on the right.
You can also follow this project by going to my artist's blog, click here or by following my Tumbu Kanu Facebook page, click here. The content is public and all are welcome!
