An Asmat Shield With Figures And Scrolls from New Guinea - Ca 85 yrs old slipper In the 19th century

In the 19th century

Built from heavy-gauge brass and fixed with copper rivets

The design was also popular in surrounding areas of North China

Men of the tribes were heavily tattooed across their bodies including on their faces

An Asmat Shield With Figures And Scrolls from New Guinea - Ca 85 yrs old slipper In the 19th centuryAsmat shields were created as functional items for warfare, and were meant to protect the user from the spears and arrows of his enemy. At the same time, the imagery that is carved and painted on the surface of the shield endows the piece with the power of the ancestors. Wood carving is a flourishing tradition among the Asmat, and wood carvers are held in high esteem. The culture hero Fumeripits is considered to be the very first wood carver, and all