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Vaka ama

human history
  • Other Name

    Model canoe (English)

  • Description

    Vaka. Canoe. This is a model vaka. It has been made entirely of a dark brown wood material. The hama (outrigger) is missing and only two of the tautoko (crossbooms) remain. The remaining body of the vaka is made up of two components. A tino vaka (hull) features as a whole component for the base of the vaka. It is long and portrays a curved, convex base and tapers from its mid section into two tapered ends for the bow and stern.

    A prowl cover portrays both the puke (bow and stern) and oa (starboard and port) parts as one component. It has been decorated with a carved design of continuous vertical linear designs. The splash back upon the stern end portrays cross-hatching designs . Four pairs of perforations feature at both ends and sides of for edges of the tino vaka and prowl cover. These are for the purpose of inserting pulu (cordage of coconut sennit cordage) for lashing both tino vaka and prowl cover into place. The length of pulu used to lash both components together also has several fua pule (cowrie shells) threaded along it to decorate the joins of the vaka. The interior of the vaka shows hafted markings across the base and smooth surfaces. Two seat components have been wedge inside of the vaka.

  • Place
  • Accession Number
    1931.580
  • Accession Date
    16 Nov 1931
  • Other Id

    16857.4 (ethnology)

  • Department
Vaka, 1931.580, 16857.4, Photographed by Richard Ng,… … Read more

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