Lot 21C
Oceania, Australia, Central Dessert, Aboriginal, ca. 1930 CE. A sacred object of ceremony and defense, this Central Desert Aboriginal shield - known in Arrernte as an alkwerte - embodies both ancestral reverence and martial readiness. Carved from a single piece of soft beanwood (Erythrina vespertilio, locally tyweretye), the shield is shaped in a classic oval form and deeply fluted with parallel grooves across its surface, a characteristic treatment distinctive to the central regions of the Northern Territory. These carved lines not only strengthen the form but animate its painted surface, which has been richly coated in red ochre and dotted in white pipe clay to reveal the presence of a sinuous, snake-like ancestral being. The reverse bears a deeply cut rectangular handle, carved integrally from the same wood as the shield body - a traditional method for ensuring structural durability during combat. Such shields were designed to deflect spears or blows from boomerangs, but their ceremonial role was just as vital. Size: 8.1" W x 28.9" H (20.6 cm x 73.4 cm)
These sacred designs were revealed to young initiates during the public stages of male initiation rites, functioning as both weapon and storytelling device, preserving the cosmological map of totemic ancestors. Shields of this type are rare survivals of a rich artistic and spiritual practice, their ochred surfaces bearing witness to an enduring relationship between land, kinship, and protection.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in September 2000; ex-Taylor Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#196109
- Condition: Expected surface wear with some chips, nicks, and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining pigments and light patina in areas.
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