Item X 83935 Alkwerte | Shield. Arrernte. Hermannsburg, Desert East, Northern Territory, Australia. 1962

Summary

Central Australian shields were traditionally used as defensive weapons against spears and boomerangs in conflict situations. The surface of these shields were also decorated with designs representing the totemic ancestors of young men and displayed during the public stages of their initiation.

Local Name

Alkwerte

Physical Description

Softwood oval shape shield. Convex-concave cross-section and fluted both sides. Front decorated with sinuous lines, concentric circles and dots in white and yellow ochre. Coated all over in red ochre. Handle is bound with European cloth.