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The Trobriands, part of the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, are one of a number of far-flung island groups lying off the southeast tip of New Guinea. The people of these islands speak Melanesian (Austro¬nesian) languages and share a common culture; they are known collectively as the Massim. The traditional economy of the Massim area is based on agriculture, fishing,and inter-island trade. The first European visitor to the islands was the French ship Espérance in 1793. The islands were named by navigator Bruni d'Entrecasteaux after his first lieutenant,DenisdeTrobriand. The large sea-going canoes used by Tro¬briand Islanders for fishing and trade have dugout hulls stabilized by single outrigger floats, and large triangular sails woven from strips of dried pandanus leaf. The smallest outrigger canoe have the sail is of an oval shape.Since such ca¬noes must be sailed with the wind coming from the outrigger side, the ends of the craft are reversible, and both ends of the hull feature decorated “prow” boards. A set of prow-boards includes a lobed, asymmetrical board like the one illustrated here, mounted transversely, and a second board which proj¬ects at right angles towards the end of the hull. Both boards are elaborately carved and painted red,black,and white.The most beautifully decorated Trobriands canoes are those engaged in traveling the «Kula Ring», an extensive overseas trade network en-compassing all the various island groups of the Massim area.The stunning prow configurations of Trobriand Island canoes are designed to dazzle and upset the spectator, giving a possible trading advantage to the party which arrives in such a decorated canoe. The building and launching of a large trading canoe involves the performance of ceremonial rites to make it swift, safe, and successful in the Kula. Malinowski described the rites associated with the construction of a Trobriands canoe, as he observed them when he was in the islands from 1915 to 1918. When a canoe was built, the dugout hull, the carved and painted prow-boards, and all the other parts of the vessel were brought down to the beach. Assembly began with the performance of a special rite, mwasila,which accompanied the inserting of the decorated prow-boards at the ends of the hull: The well carved board of classical from with finely carved curvilinear devices overall,in the forms of zoomorphs and avian figures, with a splayed human figure atop; painted of red,white and black pigments. The art from this area is characterised by its detailed and complex scroll designs carved in low relief incorporating the heads of frigate birds . The frigate is revered by them as it is a bird of great strength and endurance , and its totemic importance is ever present in the art of the carved prow carried with them on their arduous sea voyages . These ornamental parts of the canoe are put in first of all, and this is done ceremonially. The body of the canoe, now bright with the three-co-loured boards, is pushed into the water. A handful of leaves, of a shrub called bobi’u, is charmed by the owner or by the builder, and the body of the canoe is washed in sea water with the leaves. All the men participate in the washing, and this rite is intended to make the canoe fast, by removing the traces of any evil influence… (Malinowski 1922)
Papua New Guinea 1979;25t;SG ?
Papua New Guinea1997;65t;SG 811.

Source: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Trobriander. http://www.flipdocs.com/showbook.aspx?I ... 717_426846. http://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition ... d-islands/.