shield
Bardi, Kimberley
19th cent.
appr. 28 inches
softwood painted, with base
Euro 3.800

This extremely rare type of shield comes from the Bardi people - an aboriginal group which lives in the Kimberley´s of western Australia (between Broome and Derby on selected areas of the Dampier peninsula).

The most elegant form mainly attracts because of still remaining old painting of natural black and red pigments. The shields shows obvious battle scars on the convex front and clear stone adzing signs on the concave reverse. Not only an artistically beautiful piece but also a rare piece of its kind.