New Georgia, Guadalcanal, or Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands
19th century
Wood frame, wicker
Height: 33¾ in (85.7 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Auckland, New Zealand
Wicker shields of this type were produced across several islands in the western and central Solomons — New Georgia, Guadalcanal, and Santa Isabel — where they served both as defensive objects in warfare and as items of barter and exchange between communities. Constructed over a wooden frame interlaced with wicker, they are notably light relative to their size, designed to deflect spears and arrows rather than absorb direct blows. Their dual function as weapons and exchange objects reflects the broader pattern in Solomon Islands material culture where prestige objects moved fluidly between martial and ceremonial contexts.
The shield tapers at both ends, the body formed by tight concentric rows of wicker lashing over the wooden armature, consistent throughout. At the lower register a pattern resembling a frigate bird is worked into the surface, connecting this utilitarian object to the broader symbolic vocabulary of the Solomons, where the frigate bird carried significance across warfare, fishing, and ceremonial life. The Auckland provenance connects this piece to the same New Zealand collection that supplied a Buka paddle and a shell-inlaid club also in this inventory.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
New Georgia, Guadalcanal, or Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands
19th century
Wood frame, wicker
Height: 33¾ in (85.7 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Auckland, New Zealand
Wicker shields of this type were produced across several islands in the western and central Solomons — New Georgia, Guadalcanal, and Santa Isabel — where they served both as defensive objects in warfare and as items of barter and exchange between communities. Constructed over a wooden frame interlaced with wicker, they are notably light relative to their size, designed to deflect spears and arrows rather than absorb direct blows. Their dual function as weapons and exchange objects reflects the broader pattern in Solomon Islands material culture where prestige objects moved fluidly between martial and ceremonial contexts.
The shield tapers at both ends, the body formed by tight concentric rows of wicker lashing over the wooden armature, consistent throughout. At the lower register a pattern resembling a frigate bird is worked into the surface, connecting this utilitarian object to the broader symbolic vocabulary of the Solomons, where the frigate bird carried significance across warfare, fishing, and ceremonial life. The Auckland provenance connects this piece to the same New Zealand collection that supplied a Buka paddle and a shell-inlaid club also in this inventory.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
