Summary

Made from binnap (manna gum), spear shields, known as gee-am or kerreem, were used skilfully in battle to protect all parts of the body from spears. This weapon was considered impenetrable, except when a spear struck its centre, which any skilled warrior could avoid with his movements.
Historical records indicate this Gee-am (shield) was among the large amounts of material culture taken overseas from Victoria at some point in the 19th and 20th centuries. It came into the Museum Victoria collection in 1995 through a donation by an international collector. During the period in which it was collected the ignorance of non-Aboriginal collectors to the specificity, diversity and complexity of Aboriginal Nations throughout Australia meant that the makers and Nations of the cultural items collected were often not recorded.

Local Name

Gee-am or Kerreem

Physical Description

A flat pippette shaped hardwwod shield with squared ends. Handle attached. Front of shield decorated with burnt dots and lines, surface also varnished. Underside is plain. Some marking on underside.

Significance

This shield was initially recorded as being made in the 1880s, but it appears to be from a later period given the presence of varnish and because the design has been burnt rather than engraved into the shield's surface.
Gunai/Kurnai elder, Uncle Albert Mullett says of the burning technique: 'We use technology related to wood burning for our designs; very precise images are achieved. Originally we used irons in the fire, years ago, where you would have to bend and shape wire in the fire to do markings. The new process using small machines speeds things up. It was a different technology in the old days, which required different skills, and knowledge of the concentration of heat and smoke.' Uncle Albert Mullett, 1999.

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