Oceanic, Papua-New Guinea, Eastern Highlands, Central Area. Wahgi people. War Shield (kumbtapi). Wood, pigment, basketry...

Description

Oceanic, Papua-New Guinea, Eastern Highlands, Central Area
Wahgi people
War Shield (kumbtapi)
Wood, pigment, basketry, cassowary feathers, metal wire
Height: 61 ½ inches Width: 20 ½ inches

The attribution to the Wahgi people is based on a 1990 field photograph by Michael O'Hanlon published to accompany his essay in Protection Power and Display (Michael O'Hanlon, "Medusa's Art: Interpreting Melanesian Shields" in Andrew Tavarelli, ed., Protection Power and Display. Shields of Island Southeast Asia and Melanesia. Boston: Boston College Museum of Art, 1995, pp.74-88; fig.28, p.87, second shield from left). The Wahgi call their full-sized war shields kumbtapi, "literally meaning 'wall of the tapi tree,' since this tree is always used for making shields" (Chris Boylan, "Highlands of eastern New Guinea" in Harry Beran and Barry Craig, eds., Shields of Melanesia, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2005, p. 141).
There is a crack system extending downward from the central top, along with losses at the upper proper left edge (one small piece reglued), and the entire proper right side is abraded with some wood loss. Normal pigment loss is present.

Provenance:
Martin, Port Moresby, Papua-New Guinea
Clarke and Clarke, Scottsdale
Gary Hendershott, Little Rock



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