Asmat shield, Irian Jaya - Lot 198

Lot n° 198
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Estimation :
1800 - 2500 EUR
Asmat shield, Irian Jaya - Lot 198
Asmat shield, Irian Jaya Wood, pigments Height: 183 cm Provenance: French private collection A shield with a dense and complex iconography, whose obverse features champlevé motifs enhanced with ochre and highlighted with black, standing out against a white-tinted surface. The stylized representations of red bats ("tar"), a recurring motif in the corpus, symbolize headhunting. Asmat shields are closely linked to the tradition of headhunting. Each one bears the name of an ancestor whose vigor it is supposed to transmit, combined with the strength of the warrior wielding it. Endowed with a power of their own, these shields are not only used in battle: they can also be displayed to ward off evil influences. Their carefully structured decoration reflects a search for symbolic and protective efficacy.
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