canoe prow carving

Canoe prow carving (nguzunguzu, toto isu) made of carved wood and shell inlay. Choiseul, Solomon Islands. Figure is of a head and torso with hands clasping a protusion from below the chin. The figure once had two wing-like protusions from top of head, one of these is now broken away. Figure has pierced and elongated ear lobes with shell inlay. The eyes also have shell inlay. A line of inlay were originally along the jaw, much of these shell pieces are now missing. Line of shell inlay from the middle of forehead along both eyebrows and cheeks. Many of these along left hand cheek are missng. This carving has a lashing lug at the back of head with 2 round holes drilled for lashing.