Wood Carvings
ART & ARTIFACTS
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WOMAN PICKING PAPAYA
submitted Kit Porter Van Meter DESCRIPTION: Carving depicting woman picking papaya SIZE: 8 3/4" tall; 5 1/2 across; 1/2" thick MATERIAL: Probably iron wood slab LOCATION ACQUIRED: Rota, Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia DATE: 1968 Item(s) Collected by: KIT PORTER VAN METER, PCV ROTA, NMI 1967-1969 Information, pictures, and story submitted by Kit Van Meter, May, 2021 Rota is one of the islands in the Marianas chain of Micronesia and as such is frequently in the path of typhoons. As a NMI PCV, I had experienced a major typhoon in November 1967, soon after arriving on the island and had spent three days sheltered in a large cave in the hill above the island’s village, Songsong. After this experience, I would always seek shelter in a cave or a cement house when Typhoon Condition Two was announced. I do not remember the exact date or storm, but a storm was coming and a friend asked me to shelter in the cave in the hill behind his house. All the islanders lived in one village with ocean on two sides, a peninsula on the third side and a series of hills honeycombed with caves above the village. Prior to World War II, the islanders were moved out of the village by the Japanese with some living in caves. Other caves had gun emplacements and were used by Japanese soldiers during the war. About twenty people went to this--children, parents, relatives & friends. The men played cards, shared stories and enjoyed drinking. The women cared for the children and prepared food of cooked rice and Rota beef. The smell of kerosene burning from soy sauce bottle lamps filled the air. I am not sure, but I think we were in the cave for a day and the storm did not do much damage. While digging, to make a level place to put the woven mat for sleeting, we found the carving pictured here. No one knew anything about it. Maybe it is from the war years or maybe earlier. |
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STORY BOARD
submitted by Tom Zink
submitted by Tom Zink
Carver: Danny Olaitiman
(Saipan, NMI)
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Danny Olaitiman with carving given to Tom Zink (1970)
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