Unknown artist

Asmat Shield

Asmat Shield by Unknown artist

Artwork Detail

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)

Title
Asmat Shield
Artist/creator
Unknown artist
Production date
Unknown
Medium
wood, pigment, plant fibres
Dimensions
1530 x 390 x 70 mm
Credit line
Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1988
Accession no
C1994/1/248
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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