A Superb Old New Guinea Shield Asmat People Irian Jaya West Papua Todd Barlin Collection

A Superb Old New Guinea War Shield from the Asmat People on the Upper Unir River area in Remote Northwest Asmat Area, South Coast West Papua (Indonesia), 19th to very early 20^th Century 

This very fine old Shield was collected by the Catholic Mission in the 1950s-1960s, it would date from the late 19^th to early 20^th Century. It is very similar to some of the first Asmat Shields collected by the Dutch Expeditions in the very early 20^th century, those oldest shields collected in 1909 now in the Tropen Museum were smaller like this example and finely carved with the incised designs dancing across the face of the shield.  See the Dutch Expedition Photo 1909 below

The physical protection of Shields is only one aspect of their use, shields in New Guinea also play an important ceremonial role & often are the vessel for ancestral spirits and often have a personal name that can be invoked to overpower an enemy.  Shields are often kept in Men’s ceremonial houses along with ancestral relics, old shields are family heirlooms and often have an oral history to them, the owner & their clans’ men often can tell you about every particular arrow or spear embedded in the face of the shield, they know the stories of each battle who might have been wounded or killed & how their shield with its ancestral power frightened or stunned their enemies so that they could be easily overcome.

The main Asmat creation myth is about the creator Fumeripitjs who was lonely so he carved figures from wood and then he made a drum, when he played the drum the carved wood figures came to life and that is how the first Asmat people were created.  For the Asmat the connection between trees and people and the forest is profound.

This shield has always been my favorite shield and has been in my home since it arrived in Sydney in 1985 -86

Provenance: Catholic Mission Merauke. The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Art

 Exhibited: The Shields of Oceania 2000 Sydney College of the Arts at Sydney University at the Pacific Arts Festival for the 2000 Sydney Olympics (see photos below)

Published & Exhibited: Oceanic Arts Pacifica: Oceanic Art for the Todd Barlin Collection 2014 Casula Power House Arts Centre Sydney Pages 21 & 31 (below)

Provenance: Collected by Todd Barlin 1985-86

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY  showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery. I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art.  Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

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