Shield
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
20th century
Object PlacePapua New Guinea
Medium/TechniqueWood, rattan, lime, pigment
DimensionsOverall: 129 x 30 x 6 cm (50 13/16 x 11 13/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2761
On View
Not on viewClassificationsWarfare, hunting, fishing
Collections
Arawe shields (ilo) are polyxylous, combining several planks of wood from a species of palm tree that are bound together by natural fibers. The front of the shields follow a relatively uniform decorative pattern of either four, six, or eight pairs of concentric circles with several bands of triangular patterns interspersed between the circles. Red, white, and black are the primary colors used for painting the designs on the front of the shield. The backs of the shields are also decorated. However, the decoration on the back of the shield is not standardized and is particular to the owner of the shield. In addition to being painted, the back of the shield may also have low-relief carvings. The patterns on the back of the shield refer to the political and spiritual power of the owner and are similar to patterns found on barkcloth belts.
Provenance1974, sold by Island Carvings, Lae, Papua New Guinea, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
