A standing native man peacefully paddles his dugout canoe with his companion who wears a traditional red and white pareau sarong and top. Their reflections bounce off the black lagoon water. A traditional fish basket hand-made to hold and keep fish fresh in the ocean sits in the middle of the canoe. The design is framed in bold orchid-like flowers with the artist’s classic coconut trees and tiny hut in the background.
The art was created by a German post-impressionist artist, Wolfgang Wolff who had lived in Tahiti in the 1930s and 40s. He moved to California, had a few fine art shows and then settled into being a commercial textile designer. His art reflects his time in Tahiti when natives commuted by canoe, lived in huts and speared fish for their food.
