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Artwork

Asmat Shield

Artwork Information

The Asmat live in south-west Irian Jaya and are among the finest Melanesian artists. This war shield is decorated with stylized flying foxes and has an ancestor’s face at the top. (Te Moananui a Kiwa)

Almost all known Asmat carvings date from after European contact during the nineteenth century, and vast numbers were collected by traders after the Second World War. (Te Moananui a Kiwa, 2005)

Artist
Title
Asmat Shield
Medium
wood, pigment, plant fibres
Dimensions
1530 x 390 x 70 mm
Credit Line
Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1988
Accession No
C1994/1/248
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
International Art
Display Status
Not on display
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