A Fine Old War Shield Frieda River, Upper Sepik river area, East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old War Shield, Frieda River, Upper Sepik River area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea

Frieda River Shields are rare; in 40 years, I have only ever seen 4 or 5 examples.  Shields from the Frieda River area, which includes some Iwam people groups, appear to be transitional between the Telefomin & Mountain OK Peoples style & the Upper Sepik Cultures.

The Frieda River, a major tributary of Papua New Guinea’s vast Sepik River system, is central to a huge copper-gold mining project (Frieda River Project) that faces significant controversy due to environmental and cultural risks to the world’s largest unpolluted freshwater basin, while traditional Sepik shields, carved wood art with distinctive curvilinear designs, represent the rich culture of the region

The Men’s Ceremonial House is where the Shields are being stored. The spiritual ‘heat’ of such relics was believed to be a danger to the well-being of women and children, so ancestral relics were kept only in men’s ritual houses.

In the men’s ritual houses, boys and young men passed through several stages of initiation into the mysteries of the ancestors and the rituals that ensured the growth of the staple crop Sago & the health and welfare of the community, and success in hunting and warfare.

The designs on the Shields were specific to a clan and area specific and the designs had ancestral power, each shield had its own personal name. This fine Shield has deeply incised designs with a central motif and the edge of the shield has a serrated triangular border.  The designs are highlighted with red, white & black ochre.  On the back of the shield, you can see how it was held with a strap going from top to bottom which a warrior slings on to his shoulder

Warfare was widespread among traditional enemies in neighbouring areas and alliances were made & broken regularly between different groups.

Provenance: Collected in the 1960’s by an Australian expat who was working in New Guinea in the 1960’s

 The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art

References: Shields of Melanesia” 2005 Pages 80- 81. This gives the clearest information on Shields from this area. ( The field photo of John Pasquerlli trading for a shield on the Upper Sepik River from the book Shields of Melanesia

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY  showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery. I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art.  Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

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