Mid-20th C. Asian Orchid Island Wooden Canoe Model

**Originally Listed At $550**

Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Orchid Island (Lanyu), Tao (Yami) people, ca. mid-20th century CE. A charming hand-sculpted wooden model of a large canoe. The ends of the canoe reach upward in high points, and the sides have incised abstract anthropomorphic figures and encircled six-pointed stars within smooth panels separated by borders of impressed serrated edges. The Tao people, who are Malayo-Polynesian, were mistakenly called the "Yami" by a Japanese anthropologist. The interior or their island is dense jungle on fertile volcanic soil, and many parts of it remain untouched; instead, people live near the coasts and travel via boats, with this example probably representing the smaller "tatara" rather than the larger "chinedkulan." Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 10.375" L x 2.875" W x 4.4" H (26.4 cm x 7.3 cm x 11.2 cm).

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection

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#141315
Condition Report: Small chips and abrasions to both ends, body, and base, otherwise intact and very good.