Shoulder shield "wörrumbi" ·  Papua New Guinea - Southern Highlands, Mendi · ID: 3035686

Description

hardwood, blackish brown ground, simple patterns in red and white pigment, of oval form, board-shaped flat, vertical middle ridge on the front side, gripping device of plant fibre cord, slightly dam., cracks (right rim, upper end), abrasion of paint;
used by bowmen, the “wörrumbi” was the most important battle shield. It was carried only when clans opposed each other in open lines of battle. The timber was any of a variety of hardwood, either split from the trunk or shaped and trimmed from a buttress root.

Littérature comparée

Beran, Harry & Barry Craig (ed.), Shields of Melanesia, Honolulu 2005, p. 136