Pre-contact Mendi Shield-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
This is an ancient, pre-contact, stone-carved fighting shield from the Mendi area of Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands Province. The shield has a fantastic aged and dark patina reverse, nice remains of pigments on the front and several old arrow tips embedded in the wood. Take notice of the interesting, pecked design under the pigments indicative of earlier motifs. This is one of the oldest Mendi shields I have had the pleasure to own. It is 42 ½” in height, is pre-1920 and sells for $5800.