A prow-tip from a large war-canoe. The prow is decorated with a large and important ancestor figure of classical and powerful Ramu style. The tip of the prow is composed of the head of a stylized animal – possibly a crocodile – with a large bird speading its wings over the animals snout. Nimnim Village, Lower Ramu River, PNG, Melanesia. Wood with martime patina of exposure and wear. Minor vintage damage to the tip and underside. 90 x 30,5 x 13 cm. This canoe was carved at the begining of the 20th century and was last used reportedly just before the Japanese invasion of New Guinea in WW II. Collected in the field by Crispin Howard, acting curator, National Gallery, Canberra, Australia circa 1990. He reported that the canoe had been abandonned since the war.