African Woven War Shield

It's a completed solid wood piece carved by hand with a very simple tool. The end result shows the process of hard work during the making period.

A monumental, rare and important Oceanic Papuan Asmat People tribal carved war shield from the first half of the 20th century, collected from the coast of the headhunting tribe in Papua New Guinea, a Provincial Indonesian island in the mid 20th century. Among the Asmat, war shields are the most powerful symbolic element of a warrior's equipment, and have many layers of meaning. Traditionally, they were functional items used to protect warriors in battle by deflecting an enemy's spears and arrows. The carved and painted images on the surface of the shields were also intended to frighten the enemy and symbolize the power of the ancestors. Ancestral imagery appears on multiple forms of Asmat art...

Handwoven Bogolan mud cloth textile from Mali, Africa, Bambara. It is a handwoven tribal cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud. Woven Afr...

A rare and important Oceanic Papuan Asmat tribal carved ancestral sago bowl (also known as a platter, serving shield and tray) crafted in the likes of the...

Old Pende giwoyo mask with red pigments, black and white beard with carved triangles and woven black raffia hair cap The mask is 13 1/4 inches high, on custom...

A pair of Papua New Guinea Mendi wooden war shields on custom stands from the mid-20th century. This pair of war shields originate from the Mendi region, within the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. These oceanic war shields were not only created for protecting oneself for tribal warfare, but also in ancestral and ritual worship. They are adorn in various motifs, coloring and symbolism, intended to protect the carrier from magic and bring fear to the opponent. The shields are displayed upright on a custom black iron Stand, with the tallest of the set standing at a height of over 4.5 ft tall. This pair of Papua New Guinea shields...

Poto African sword, Congo Africa on stand. A forged iron sword with fine incised design, inlaid brass dots, overlaid brass strips, finely carved wood ha...

Rare artwork by the tribe of Zulu in Africa, the native weapon to attack the enemy and animal, and protect oneself. It's a typical form to have a Cowhide Shield with Spear and Mallet...

Most forms were developed from traditional metal objects that were already in use such as weapons, tools, bracelets and anklets. While some continued to be functional for work or dec...

A rare wicker war shield with a fine woven and dyed natural pigment patern from the Ngombe/Doko tribe from the Ubangi area DR Congo Late 19th century The shield is intense used in ba...