Description
Vayola war shield, Aire Massim, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea Wood, natural pigments H. 77 cm On the back two handwritten notes: E.N.Gal. Trobriand, I. and 346008 Vayola war shield, Massim area, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea H. 30 ¼ in Provenance: - Former collection of the Umlauff Museum, Hamburg, No. 635 A very fine example of a Vayola shield, displaying a composition of particularly vivid designs and colours. Insignia for men of high rank, the shields of the Massim area remain among the rarest in New Guinea, their production stopping around 1900. Used in organized combat, they are distinguished by their small size and their engraved surface, then painted in black, white and red with motifs representing birds, snakes and insects.
64
Vayola war shield, Aire Massim, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea Wood, natural pigments H. 77 cm On the back two handwritten notes: E.N.Gal. Trobriand, I. and 346008 Vayola war shield, Massim area, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea H. 30 ¼ in Provenance: - Former collection of the Umlauff Museum, Hamburg, No. 635 A very fine example of a Vayola shield, displaying a composition of particularly vivid designs and colours. Insignia for men of high rank, the shields of the Massim area remain among the rarest in New Guinea, their production stopping around 1900. Used in organized combat, they are distinguished by their small size and their engraved surface, then painted in black, white and red with motifs representing birds, snakes and insects.
