Telefomin Shield

Telefomin area, 19th century, 59” in height.

The very earliest pre-contact Telefomin shields have a depth and strength of carving to them that they move towards being a three-dimensional sculpture. With this piece the design is carved out in such high-relief that there is a sculptural quality to the shield. The only other piece with a similar feel was collected by Barry Craig and is now on display in the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery (see Craig 1988, p. 41 for a field photograph of the shield). Besides the strong carving of the present piece, the design has an energy that is charged by the vivid colors. The orange, white and black pigments are applied thick and are fully saturated. Like many fighting shields, the colors and graphic design are supposed to dazzle the eye of your enemies, arresting their movements and striking fear into their hearts.