Lot 65
MOTU SHIELD
CENTRAL PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 19TH CENTURY
Auction: 28 May 2026 from 13:00 BST
Description
carved wood, pigment and rattan, in figure-of-eight shape, the mid-section encased within a rattan binding, the surface decoration accented with lime and pigment
please note that this lot is being offered at no reserve
Dimensions
98cm tall
Provenance
B. L. Hornshaw (1878-1937), Sydney, ca. 1921
Elizabeth Pryce, Sydney
Sotheby's, Paris, October 10th 2018, Collection Elizabeth Pryce – L’art De Vivre En Océanie, lot 16
Private collection, London, acquired from the above
Footnote
The distinctive hourglass-shaped shields made by the Motu people of Papua New Guinea’s Central Province are extremely rare. This is likely because the southern coast of New Guinea was an early center of missionary activity, and by the late 19th century fighting shields were no longer in use. Their carefully proportioned hourglass form gives them a harmonious, well-balanced appearance.