Kanak - Lot 86

Kanak Memory support New Caledonia Engraved bamboo H. 106 cm Provenance : Acquired by Vice-Admiral Laurent Marin-Darbel (1849-1928), stationed in New Caledonia in the 1870s. Private collection, Paris Galerie Suffren, Saint-Tropez The Kanaks used these engraved bamboos as a community memory medium, recounting key events in their collective history. The inside of the bamboo could also contain herbs with magical virtues and, finally, it could be used as a ritual stick, either to set the rhythm of a ceremonial dance by being struck on the ground, or to ward off evil spirits. This very fine example features a rich, complex decoration that seems to depict the organization of a typical village, as well as elements of marine fauna such as rays and turtles. The presence of the rifle frieze on these memorial bamboos is classic and appears regularly, gradually replacing the representation of the traditional assegai as the Western presence intensifies.