Vintage Asmat War Shield - Indonesia

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...

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...

Asmat People, South Papua, Indonesia, probably late 19th century The Asmat people of Papua are known for creating "trophy necklaces," intricate pieces often made from human bones an...

A ritual artifact from the tribe of the Asmat poeple, an ethnic group of New Guinea living in the Papua province of Indonesia and South-western regions of Papua New Guinea, bis or bisj pole is carved out of a wild Mangrove tree and can reach a stunning height Their carvings depict stacked human and animal figures standing and on top always phallic symbols, in the shape of a canoe prow. Bis poles...

Sculptural Dance Drum hand-carved by the Asmat Tribe Papua, New Guinea. The fine Hourglass form Drum with handle on one side and flange on the other with traditional incised Mask d...

Asmat, Papua Province, Indonesia, Late 19th century Provenance: - Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s or 1990s)

Asmat, Papua Province, Indonesia, Late 19th century Made from a long piece of Cuscus fur decorated on the sides with shell beads and strings of natural fiber. Provenance: - Collec...

A teak wood bowl crafted on the island of Java, Indonesia. The bowl was cut from a much larger slab of wood and maintains a minimalist design.

A solid teak wood bowl crafted on the island of Java from a slad of burl wood. The bowl features polished finish and is very solid with a think basin and walls. The bowl was cut from...

This flat shadow puppet depicts a mythical bird. It was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It was used in Wayang puppet...