oceania | Papua New Guinea
War Shield
Papua New Guinea
Atkom War Shield
Telefomin (Min / Mountain Ok) culture
Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea
First part of the 20th century
Carved wood, pigments, rattan
Height: 154 cm – 60 ½ in.
Length: 56 cm – 22 in.
Provenance
Collected by an Australian pilot in the 1960s
Collection Bill Evans, Paddington, Australia
Collection Chris Boylan, Sydney, Australia
Collection Daniel Vigne, Paris / Uzes
Collection Franck Marcelin, Aix-en-Provence
Exhibition and Publication
“Shields of Papua New Guinea. Animated by Spirits”. Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York 2012, pl. 111
Telefomin War Shield 154 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Warfare played an essential role in the complex system of exchanges and compensation that bound the various human groups of the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
Each warrior carried a shield, spears, bows and arrows, as well as stone knives or axes.
The shield was the most important element of a warrior's equipment. It held a magico-spiritual power and was considered an extension of the warrior himself. The shield was endowed with a vital force symbolically transmitted from the clan's ancestors.
Before hostilities broke out, warriors would repaint their shields to ensure their colors gleamed in the sunlight, dazzling and intimidating the opposing side.
Recognizable by their "X"-shaped geometric motifs, Telefomin shields share the same decorative vocabulary as the carved and painted doors of the ceremonial houses of this region.
According to Barry Craig (Shields of Melanesia, 2005, p. 125), "the X motif represents a stylized human figure, probably embodying an ancestor. The diamond point at the center is called matup bubil and represents his heart. The zigzag designs represent a snake called 'Durulian', which among the Telefomin symbolizes humanity's lost opportunity for immortality."
These war shields could also be used in magical rituals performed before each battle. They were kept in the men's house, alongside the skulls of ancestors.
Each warrior carried a shield, spears, bows and arrows, as well as stone knives or axes.
The shield was the most important element of a warrior's equipment. It held a magico-spiritual power and was considered an extension of the warrior himself. The shield was endowed with a vital force symbolically transmitted from the clan's ancestors.
Before hostilities broke out, warriors would repaint their shields to ensure their colors gleamed in the sunlight, dazzling and intimidating the opposing side.
Recognizable by their "X"-shaped geometric motifs, Telefomin shields share the same decorative vocabulary as the carved and painted doors of the ceremonial houses of this region.
According to Barry Craig (Shields of Melanesia, 2005, p. 125), "the X motif represents a stylized human figure, probably embodying an ancestor. The diamond point at the center is called matup bubil and represents his heart. The zigzag designs represent a snake called 'Durulian', which among the Telefomin symbolizes humanity's lost opportunity for immortality."
These war shields could also be used in magical rituals performed before each battle. They were kept in the men's house, alongside the skulls of ancestors.
Publication
“Shields of Papua New Guinea. Animated by Spirits”. Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York 2012, pl. N°11
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