MOTU SHIELD
CENTRAL PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 19TH CENTURY
carved wood, pigment and rattan, in figure-of-eight shape, the mid-section encased within a rattan binding, the surface decoration accented with lime and pigment please note that this lot is being offered at no reserve
98cm tall
B. L. Hornshaw (1878-1937), Sydney, ca. 1921Elizabeth Pryce, Sydney Sotheby's, Paris, October 10th 2018, Collection Elizabeth Pryce ? L?art De Vivre En Oc?anie, lot 16Private collection, London, acquired from the above
The distinctive hourglass-shaped shields made by the Motu people of Papua New Guinea?s Central Province are extremely rare. This is likely because the southern coast of New Guinea was an early center of missionary activity, and by the late 19th century fighting shields were no longer in use. Their carefully proportioned hourglass form gives them a harmonious, well-balanced appearance.