Item X 97439 Kurdiji | Shield. Warlpiri. Desert North, Northern Territory, Australia. c.1950

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

Kurdiji

Physical Description

Shield made from the red bean tree (erythrina verspertilio). The anterior surface is convex and is ruddled and is decorated with bands of black, flanked by white dots. The posterior surface is slightly concave and is also ruddled. The handle is cut into the body of the weapon.