Description
Elayaborr Korkor archer's shield, Mendi Valley Mendi Valley, Southern Highlands Wood carved with a lithic tool. Pre-contact period. Height: 0.90 m / Width: 0.31 m Provenance: - Collected by David Eastburn in the Mendi Valley in 1960. - Elizabeth Pryce Collection, Sydney. Publication: Boucliers de Papouasie, Galerie Franck Marcelin. September 2022 Traditionally worn tightly under the armpit, slung over the shoulder with a rope, to protect the warrior's torso, these shields were made of light wood for easy handling. The irregular, brown surface attests to its repeated use, and features a schematized, anthropomorphic figure, generally considered to be an ancestor, an entity protecting the warrior. The dynamic of the figure depicted is faithful to the symbolism, to the warrior's need to be lively and reactive, with arms and legs spread wide. The body, whose edges are enhanced with white pigments, is colored red, representing the color of victory, the revenge of the clan's dead, intended to destabilize the adversary. Dr. David Eastburn, who owned this copy, worked closely with the communities of Papua New Guinea for almost five decades. He was a secondary school teacher in the Southern Highlands for ten years and has been involved in documentary film-making. He is the author of: The Southern Highlands, Papua New Guine
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Elayaborr Korkor archer's shield, Mendi Valley Mendi Valley, Southern Highlands Wood carved with a lithic tool. Pre-contact period. Height: 0.90 m / Width: 0.31 m Provenance: - Collected by David Eastburn in the Mendi Valley in 1960. - Elizabeth Pryce Collection, Sydney. Publication: Boucliers de Papouasie, Galerie Franck Marcelin. September 2022 Traditionally worn tightly under the armpit, slung over the shoulder with a rope, to protect the warrior's torso, these shields were made of light wood for easy handling. The irregular, brown surface attests to its repeated use, and features a schematized, anthropomorphic figure, generally considered to be an ancestor, an entity protecting the warrior. The dynamic of the figure depicted is faithful to the symbolism, to the warrior's need to be lively and reactive, with arms and legs spread wide. The body, whose edges are enhanced with white pigments, is colored red, representing the color of victory, the revenge of the clan's dead, intended to destabilize the adversary. Dr. David Eastburn, who owned this copy, worked closely with the communities of Papua New Guinea for almost five decades. He was a secondary school teacher in the Southern Highlands for ten years and has been involved in documentary film-making. He is the author of: The Southern Highlands, Papua New Guine
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