War Shield

COLLECTION NAME:

The AMICA Library

mediaCollectionId

AMICO~1~1

The AMICA Library

Collection

true

AMICA ID:

CMA_.1963.554

amicoid

CMA_.1963.554

AMICA ID

false

AMICA Library Year:

2002

aly

2002

AMICA Library Year

false

Object Type:

Sculpture

oty

Sculpture

Object Type

false

Creator Nationality:

Asian; Pacific; Melanesian; New Guinean; Papuan; Asmat

crc

Asian; Pacific; Melanesian; New Guinean; Papuan; Asmat

Creator Nationality

false

Creator Name-CRT:

Melanesia, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Asmat People, 20th Century

crt

Melanesia, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Asmat People, 20th Century

Creator Name-CRT

false

Title:

War Shield

otn

War Shield

Title

false

Title Type:

Primary

ott

Primary

Title Type

false

View:

Full View

rid

Full View

View

false

Creation Date:

c. 1940

oct

c. 1940

Creation Date

false

Creation Start Date:

1935

ocs

1935

Creation Start Date

false

Creation End Date:

1945

oce

1945

Creation End Date

false

Materials and Techniques:

painted wood

omd

painted wood

Materials and Techniques

false

Classification Term:

Sculpture

clt

Sculpture

Classification Term

false

Dimensions:

Overall: 176.5cm x 60.3cm x 7cm

met

Overall: 176.5cm x 60.3cm x 7cm

Dimensions

false

AMICA Contributor:

The Cleveland Museum of Art

oon

The Cleveland Museum of Art

AMICA Contributor

false

Owner Location:

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

oop

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Owner Location

false

ID Number:

1963.554

ooa

1963.554

ID Number

false

Credit Line:

Gift of The May Company, Cleveland

ooc

Gift of The May Company, Cleveland

Credit Line

false

Rights:

http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html

orl

<a href="http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html"target="_new">http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html</a>

Rights

false

Context:

The carving of war shields was celebrated by the Asmat with a special feast, which was immediately followed by a headhunting raid. Each shield was named after an ancestor, who inspired strength and courage in the new owner. Shields were carved from the buttress roots of mangrove trees and decorated with raised symbolic designs. Their surfaces were painted white (lime), red (ochre), and black (charcoal). Motifs frequently carved on shields include squatting ancestors and fruit-eating animals such as flying foxes and hornbills. Fruits are considered analogous to human heads, and thus fruit-eaters symbolize headhunting ancestors. Tassels made from large sago palm leaves once hung from the shield's edges.

cxd

The carving of war shields was celebrated by the Asmat with a special feast, which was immediately followed by a headhunting raid. Each shield was named after an ancestor, who inspired strength and courage in the new owner. Shields were carved from the buttress roots of mangrove trees and decorated with raised symbolic designs. Their surfaces were painted white (lime), red (ochre), and black (charcoal). Motifs frequently carved on shields include squatting ancestors and fruit-eating animals such as flying foxes and hornbills. Fruits are considered analogous to human heads, and thus fruit-eaters symbolize headhunting ancestors. Tassels made from large sago palm leaves once hung from the shield's edges.

Context

false

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War Shield