Simbai Shield-Kalam Culture-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Simbai shields from the Kalam people living in the Schrader Mountain Range have a rather austere aesthetic to them. Often, they are exclusively black in color from a thick smokey encrusted patina. Rarely, such as this one, they have remains of pigment that add another dimension but still keeps the look somewhat somber and foreboding. The present shield was collected by William Harney, an Australian who ran tours to New Guinea between 1957 and 1965. The shield is ex. Alex Philips of Melbourne and ex. Dick Jemison of Birmingham, Alabama. It is an excellent older one that dates to the late 19th/early 20th century, stands 42 ¼” (107.3 cm) in height and sells for $7500. Questions?