oceania | Papua New Guinea
War Shield
Papua New Guinea
Large war shield
Wahgi valley, Western Highlands
Papua New Guinea
Carved wood, pigments and rattan
Mid 20th century
Height: 167.5 cm – 66 in.
Provenance
Theodore Bruce, Sydney, “The Jutta Malnic Collection & Other Vendors. Oceanic Art”, November 1st, 2021, lot 9110
Private collection, Belgium
Highlands Shield 167.5 cm Yellow / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Warfare has been at the center of Highlands life since immemorial times. The shield has always been considered an extension of the warrior himself.
When warfare was expected, warriors repainted their shields to ensure that the colors shone brilliantly against the sun to dazzle and threaten the opposing side. In the western Pacific, shields bore the name of warriors, and possessed a life force, or spirit, that connected them to their ancestors.
When warfare was expected, warriors repainted their shields to ensure that the colors shone brilliantly against the sun to dazzle and threaten the opposing side. In the western Pacific, shields bore the name of warriors, and possessed a life force, or spirit, that connected them to their ancestors.
Documentation
Mount Hagen warriors, circa 1936, Photographer: Michael Leahy
Published in “Shields of Melanesia”, page 141
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