BUKA ISLAND / BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, SALOMON ISLANDS. - Lot 79

BUKA ISLAND / BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, SALOMON ISLANDS. Dance paddle featuring Kokorra figures on each side, recognizable by their large headdresses, crouching bodies and large drop-shaped eyes, and tiered columnar motifs carved in relief on the lower part. Soft wood, natural pigments, old patinas, signs of use. Dimensions: 184 × 19 cm These ceremonial paddles, known as "dance paddles", were used to accompany major ceremonies and ritual dances. Carved from a single block of wood and enhanced with pigments, they affirmed the prestige and identity of the bearer. The decoration depicts the kokorra, wearing the upe hairstyle, an initiation hairstyle marking the passage to adulthood. Carrying a protective and ancestral charge, these figures embody vital continuity and are sometimes likened to the image of the foetus (koreritu), a symbol of creation, success and security for the person wielding the paddle.