Wooden shield. The front is decorated with carved and painted abstract patterns. The top and bottom sections of the shield are painted red with ochre pigment, and two thinner black bands border the carved panel of decoration that covers the majority of the shield. The carved decoration consists of two sections, top and bottom, featuring four sets of conjoined coiled shapes with a diamond pattern at the centre. These are painted red and are raised above the background, which is white. Running between the upper and lower sets of coiled shapes are two undulating raised shapes which are in-filled with red pigment. The central diamond is raised and painted red with a white diamond in relief surrounding it. Part b is a fragment of the shield which fits into the upper left corner, decorated with one half of a coiled line motif. A considerable fragment of the upper section of the shield is missing as are large portions of the borders around the sides of the shield.

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• Type of Item shield
• Culture Asmat
• Material wood, paint, ochre pigment, lime mineral
• Measurements height 155.3 cm, width 34.2 cm, depth 6.7 cm (part a) height 28.5 cm, width 8.0 cm, depth 1.6 cm (part b)

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• Previous Owner Lorne Balshine
• Received from Lorne Balshine

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• Made in Papua

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• Collection Date during 1980
• Ownership Date before April 11, 2012
• Acquisition Date on April 11, 2012

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• Condition poor
• Accession Number 2948/0009 a-b