[xoxoxoBruce]

Google tells me the picture is captioned, "A canoe on the Niger River". That's hardly what I'd envision if someone said canoe. A good example of even if you understand the language, you might not get the meaning if you don't know the culture of the speaker. The value of photographs is immeasurable.

Anyway, that "canoe" looks like half the design was dictated by practical needs and half by aesthetics. I suppose it's traditional and may be trying to please certain gods, but it's certainly pleasing to the eye. That's verified by the sheer number of photographs and art prints for sale online, featuring a lone pirogue on the Niger.