Island Art of the Seacology Office (Part III): Wooden carvings
Carvings from various types of wood can be found throughout the world. The four examples from the Seacology office that follow are from Palau, Vanuatu, Samoa and the Solomon Islands.
Traditional Palauan Storyboard: Presented to Seacology by Chief Urong Victor Joseph of Ollei Village, Babeldaob, Palau. Carvings such as this were traditionally found on bai, or the beams of the men's club houses, but under the influence of Japanese artists during the Japanese occupation of Palau, the depiction of these stories was transferred to a smaller portable board.
Vanuatu Chief's Staff: This nalnal is a traditional sign of leadership which doubles as a weapon and can only be used by Vanuatu village chiefs. This nalnal was given to Seacology by the chief of Sara Village on the island of Espiritu Santo as a gesture of appreciation for funding a new community center.
Samoan war club presented to Executive Director Duane Silverstein by Chief Fuiono Senio. Chief Senio was the recipient of the 1993 Seacology Prize, an annual award given to an indigenous islander who faces enormous adversity to protect island environments and cultures.
Solomon Islands wood carving: The village of Mbili, located in the Marovo lagoon region of the Solomon Islands, is known for its high quality wood carvings. This carving, made from non-endangered kerosene wood, was presented to Seacology as a gesture of appreciation for funding a new school in Mbili. It is made up of many intertwined sea turtles and fish and probably weighs over 30 pounds. As I'm sure she'll attest, Karen didn't realize quite the challenge that lay ahead of her the first time she was asked to hang this beautiful carving on the office wall!
