Old Green River Shield, Abau People, Upper Sepik River PNG - $400 - (Mesa, AZ)

Old Green River Shield with Anthropomorphic Representation Abau People, Green River Area, Upper Sepik River, West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea The Green River flows into the upper Sepik River near the west Papuan border; it is mountainous rugged country difficult to access. The people there are the Abau and these shields are carved from the wide buttress roots of a particular rain forest tree, known to them as the 'kofekan' tree. In this rare example, the anthropomorphic representation is highly unusual - geometric designs being far more common. Old shield like this one were still kept and revered in the men's house haus tambaran long after their use in warfare as they still held magical power. The losses to this one are not so much a detraction as they are a sign of great age and reverence. 58.5" - 148.5 cm.

Posted in Mesa, AZ, Collectibles
From ebay.com - 1 month ago