A Fine Old New Guinea War Shield Yuat River Lower Sepik River East Sepik Province Papuan New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea War Shield Yuat River Lower Sepik River East Sepik Province Papuan New Guinea

This fine old War Shield from the Mundugumor people in the Yuat River area of Lower Sepik River in the East Sepik Province Papuan New Guinea. Collected in 1966 by the geologist Peter Austin who luckily had a helicopter to get to a remote area to do a survey and collect artwork.

This is a very beautiful old shield, the carving designs on the front of the shield consist of six well-rendered faces that represent a powerful spirit called Raram.  Old shields were important clan heirlooms and each shield had the personal name of an ancestor.  The superb carving is further brought to life by the infill ochre painting in red, yellow , white & black ochre’s.  The edge of the shield is pierced on both sides from the top to the bottom that has fibre tassels attached as decoration. The back of the shield is highly concave and the handle is upraised and then secured by cane on the top of the handle & a wood bar at the bottom of the handle.

The shield would date from the 1930s period based on the date of collection in 1966.  The shield is in very good original condition and would be a prized addition to anyone who collects New Guinea Shields or the Art Collector who can see what the early 20th Century Western Artists saw when collecting Oceanic and New Guinea Art.

In the photos above are from my 2014 exhibition and publication: Oceanic Arts Pacifica: Artworks from the Todd Barlin Collection at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney Australia.

Provenance:  Collected in 1966 by the geologist Peter Austin.  Much of  Peter Austin collection was sold to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and published in the book  “New Guinea : Big Man Island”  by  ES Rogers, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Canada 1970.   The collection remains in the Toronto Museum today.  His best objects were kept for 50 years until the collection was sold to me.

The Todd Barlin Collection of Papua New Guinea Oceanic Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & 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 specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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If you have a similar “object” for sale please contact me for the best price and honest advice by a Government approved valuer 

To see many more rare items and the finest masterpieces, please make an appointment with us to visit the gallery.

For all inquiries, please contact us.