Rare Shield

173. A massive early Queensland shield and related boomerang. Probably dating to the mid to early 19th century this shield is extremely worn and used, the designs on its surfaces are almost unreadable. There is a red ochre beneath the black on both the shield and the boomerang. This shield may be the largest of its type extant, most being between 40 and 50cm. Many early shields can be found painted black , see the British Museum Oc1848,0202.2. for an example with a similar pigment and shape collected before 1846.

84cm x 28cm.

Queensland, Australia.