Asmat Shield by Unknown artist

Being

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Making

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Asmat Shield

Asmat Shield

Artist

Unknown artist
Production Date

Unknown
Medium

wood, pigment, plant fibres
Size

1530 x 390 x 70 mm
Credit

Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1988
Accession Number

C1994/1/248
Accession Date

Jul 1988
Department

International Art
Classification

Object
Collection

Chartwell
Subjects

artifacts, shields (armor)
Chartwell Notes

Please note: We have been unable to obtain direct approval for this image but we acknowledge the original maker. If the copyright owner is able to contact us, we will immediately respond. Regards, Chartwell.
Description

The Asmat live in south-west Irian Jaya and are among the finest Melanesian artists. This war shield is decorated with stylized flying foxes and has an ancestor’s face at the top. (Te Moananui a Kiwa)

Almost all known Asmat carvings date from after European contact during the nineteenth century, and vast numbers were collected by traders after the Second World War. (Te Moananui a Kiwa, 2005)