Model Steering Oar

Cleveland Museum of Art

The object is a wooden steering oar titled "Model Steering Oar" by an unknown artist. The oar has a long handle with a bird-like figure at the top. The handle is two-toned, with a reddish-brown bottom section and a beige top section. The handle sections are separated by metal bands. The oar's head or blade is teardrop-shaped with a pointed end. The oar head is painted with a face-like design featuring a red base color. Two green floral patterns are on either side of the face. The eyes are outlined with black lines and have white centers. The background of the image fades from black at the top to gray at the bottom. The oar casts a shadow on the surface below.