Sepik fighting shield - 173 cm - Upper sepik - Papua New Guinea (No reserve price)

Field-Collected Fighting Shield (1970s)

A remarkable and authentic fighting shield, field-collected in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s, measuring an impressive 173 cm in length. Shields of this size and condition are increasingly rare, and this example is exceptional for both its powerful presence and its museum-level integrity.

Carved from a single piece of hardwood and decorated in the traditional manner, the shield displays the characteristic form and surface patina associated with long-held ceremonial and defensive objects from the region. The aged pigments, natural wear, and deep patination confirm its prolonged use and traditional life before collection.

This shield was acquired in the 1970s by an East-German collector and was kept in private hands for decades. It surfaced again only recently in a house sale in former East Germany, where it was bought directly from the original collection. The provenance is solid and historically interesting, reflecting early collecting routes behind the Iron Curtain.

At 173 cm, the shield commands attention. Its proportions, elegance, and superb state of preservation make it a prime example for collectors of early Papuan weaponry, serious ethnographic collections, or anyone seeking a striking sculptural statement.

Authentic, untouched, and visually powerful — a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine fighting shield with true field history, well over half a century

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Sold by Koos Knol, ethnographer and anthropologist, dealer of Papua Tribal Art for more than 30 years, expert and author of the book “Papua Blues”, written in Dutch. (Maybe in English next year.)  Published end of October 2024
A book about inside stories, a book that deals with the many encounters with special people in West Papua, the impressive experiences that the author has, about special encounters with men and women who tell him about secret things, about ethnographic objects and initiate him into the rituals and ceremonies.
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
 
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