The Massim district was the southeasternmost point of the island of New Guinea, including the Trobriand islands, the Louisiade Archipelago and other islands.
The artistic style of the Massim area is noticeably different from any other style in New Guinea and, probably, the rest of the world. A special feature of the ‘Massim style’ is its complexity: nowhere else have curves, volutes and spirals ever been composed in such dense patterns of perfectly intersecting decorations as are to be found in numerous objects of the ‘Massim people’.
The present, old ‘splash board’, shows this very clearly. A thick wooden board in a characteristic form, with a long, trapeze-shaped lower section and a wide upper part with two lateral round forms arranged around two circular elements.
The front side of the board is carved with a tight pattern of linear bands, filled with detailed interlacing curves, volutes and spirals in relief; the wider upper section also features openwork décor. At a few ends of the décor bands stylised birds heads (of albatrosses or cormorants) are discernible. The raised front side of the board still shows remnants of original red and white colouring. The back is smooth and without decoration.
‘Splash boards’, such as the present one, were positioned at a right angle behind the bow of a boat, with the decorated facing side turned towards the front and the lower prongs fixed to the boat. They were intended not only to protect the crew from the splashes of the waves, but also as magic, spiritual protection from evil water spirits and other influences. A perfectly preserved, fascinating object, with a few delicate cracks to the top. One crack mended with an old original repair (with copper wire). Otherwise no damage! Height: 102 cm (in total); Width: 70 cm (in the upper section) and 22 cm (below). First third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.:
'Art Papou', Musées de Marseille catalogue, ill. 121; 'Ozeanische Kunst' by Anthony J. P. Meyer, ill. 134; 'Melanesien. Schwarze Inseln der Südsee', Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum Köln catalogue, ill. 254.