Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
Wood, fiber, natural pigments
Height: 43 in (109.2 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Massachusetts; private collection, New York; Sydney trade
Shields from the New Guinea Highlands were carried in intergroup warfare and served simultaneously as markers of identity and group affiliation, their painted surfaces communicating allegiance and standing as clearly as they offered physical protection. The geometric compositions applied to Highlands shields vary by region and maker, encoding visual information legible to those within the tradition. This example carries a bold two-tone composition in red and ochre with white circular elements, organized symmetrically around a central vertical axis.
The design is applied in natural pigments over a wood ground, the colors retaining strong contrast across the full face of the shield. A central vertical ridge divides the composition, a structural and visual element common to the Highlands shield tradition, with fiber binding visible at the grip point on the reverse. The provenance moves through three successive private holdings across Massachusetts, New York, and Sydney, tracing a collecting history consistent with the dispersal of Highlands material through the mid-to-late twentieth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
Wood, fiber, natural pigments
Height: 43 in (109.2 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Massachusetts; private collection, New York; Sydney trade
Shields from the New Guinea Highlands were carried in intergroup warfare and served simultaneously as markers of identity and group affiliation, their painted surfaces communicating allegiance and standing as clearly as they offered physical protection. The geometric compositions applied to Highlands shields vary by region and maker, encoding visual information legible to those within the tradition. This example carries a bold two-tone composition in red and ochre with white circular elements, organized symmetrically around a central vertical axis.
The design is applied in natural pigments over a wood ground, the colors retaining strong contrast across the full face of the shield. A central vertical ridge divides the composition, a structural and visual element common to the Highlands shield tradition, with fiber binding visible at the grip point on the reverse. The provenance moves through three successive private holdings across Massachusetts, New York, and Sydney, tracing a collecting history consistent with the dispersal of Highlands material through the mid-to-late twentieth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
