- 5
A BROAD SHIELD, LOWER MURRAY RIVER, SOUTH AUSTRALIA,
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 AUD
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Description
- Length: 68.5 cm
carved in hardwood of lozenge shape tapering to form elongated extended ends, front decorated with engraved zig-zag motifs infilled with white and some areas of red pigment, pierced with two holes to the centre and inset with bentwood handle, the reverse undecorated, old patina overall
Condition
Timber appears in stable condition with no evidence of repairs or restoration. There are five small indentations in the face of the shield, most probably from use. There are a series of surface cracks on the reverse centre of the shield extending from the top finial to the centre, old patina overall
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Cf. Sutton. P. (ed)., Dreamings. The art of Aborigial Australia, Viking, Melbourne, 1988: pp.185-186; Jones, P. and Hemming, S. (eds), Ngurunderi: An Aboriginal Dreaming. The Culture of the Ngarrindjeri People., South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 2000 . This shield is most probably made by the peoples who live in the areas surrounding the mouth of the Murray River. According to the above catalogue, 'The Ngarrindjeri used two types of shields (wakkaide) for defence against spears. The rounder of the two was made from the bark of the red gum tree. The other was made from the wood beneath the bark. Both were decorated with ochres, white pipeclay and carvings' (ibid p.79). This shield has characteristics of the second type.
Broad shields of this particular type were found in the lower reaches of the Murray River in South Australia. When British settlement began with the establishment of the colony of South Australia in 1836, the area still had a rich tradition of wood engraving, and the early 19th century weapons and artefacts are often replete with geometric designs overpainted and infilled with ochres. According to Sutton, the 'shields, decorated with arcs, bars, and geometric engravings, are perhaps the richest example of their [the Indigenous people's] visual art now surviving. Lower Murray rock art, of unknown antiquity, included simple representations of shields of a similar form to those in use in the 19th century.' (Sutton, 1988 op.cit.). This example is unusual in that the engraving is loosely scratched rather than deeply set into the surface, and may date from the second half of the 19th century.
Shields like the offered lot would have been cut from a living tree, the creator cutting the appropriate shape from the gum tree directly below the bark, often referred to as the 'inner bark'. These shields were used in general fights to deflect spears, and this example has the curved wood handle inserted through the two bored holes at the centre. These handles would have been bent and inserted while green, to become strong and firm once they dried.
Broad shields of this particular type were found in the lower reaches of the Murray River in South Australia. When British settlement began with the establishment of the colony of South Australia in 1836, the area still had a rich tradition of wood engraving, and the early 19th century weapons and artefacts are often replete with geometric designs overpainted and infilled with ochres. According to Sutton, the 'shields, decorated with arcs, bars, and geometric engravings, are perhaps the richest example of their [the Indigenous people's] visual art now surviving. Lower Murray rock art, of unknown antiquity, included simple representations of shields of a similar form to those in use in the 19th century.' (Sutton, 1988 op.cit.). This example is unusual in that the engraving is loosely scratched rather than deeply set into the surface, and may date from the second half of the 19th century.
Shields like the offered lot would have been cut from a living tree, the creator cutting the appropriate shape from the gum tree directly below the bark, often referred to as the 'inner bark'. These shields were used in general fights to deflect spears, and this example has the curved wood handle inserted through the two bored holes at the centre. These handles would have been bent and inserted while green, to become strong and firm once they dried.