Lot 97
WUNDA SHIELD
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Auction: 26 November 2026 from 14:00 GMT
Description
carved wood and pigment, of long elliptical form, decorated with zigzag pandal patterns consisting of a series of longitudinal grooves divided into three sections, coloured with red ochre, integral handle at reverse
Dimensions
68.4cm long
Provenance
Private collection, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, acquired in 1960s - 1970s and thence by descent
Footnote
In Western Australia, zigzag motifs were closely linked to water, with designs on wunda shields interpreted as ripples in sand, floodwaters, or wind-shaped patterns on water surfaces.