Wooden paddle from model of five-part outrigger canoe
Datec 1945
Object number00046787
NamePaddle
MediumWood, pigment, natural fibre
DimensionsOverall: 321 x 35 x 19 mm, 13.57 g
ClassificationsVessels and fittings
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Ernest A Flint
DescriptionThis wooden paddle comes from a wooden model of a five-part outrigger canoe from the Mandang region of New Guinea. In the local Mandang language it is called a 'balangut'. The model was acquired by trading two tins of Spam with local villagers during World War II.HistoryThe owner related that this canoe was a model of a 'lakatoi' which he exchanged for two tins of spam in Madang (mid-north coast PNG) in 1944. He said he saw the canoes sailing there and their sailors were taken on as pilots for the US Army Small ships.
'Lakatoi' according to most sources is a large native trading vessel made up of three or more dugout hulls, using quite a different type of sail, specific to the SOUTH coast of PNG, therefore not the type of vessel depicted by the model. It is thought that the term became generalised to mean 'any native seagoing boat' to Europeans.
This model has been confirmed by Haddon & Hornell (Canoes of Oceania) as representing types from the vicinity of Madang.
SignificanceThis model canoe is representative of a five-part single outrigger canoe. In the local Mandang language it is called a 'balangut'. The donor served in the US Army Small Ships Service.
