Early Yuat River Shield New Guinea

Early Yuat River Shield , East Sepik Province, Lower Sepik River, Yuat River, New Guinea
Field Collected

180cm x 340cm

This shield is from the Biwat people who live in the proximity of the Yuat and Sepik River junction.  The war shields are typified by a series of faces aligned along the central spine of the shield.  The number of faces range from three to six.   Coconut tassle fibre is sometimes attached to the sides and noses of the faces.  The identifying feature of these shields is the eyes with the  horizontal dentated lines that transform the eyes into fierce aggressives designs.  According to Chris Boylan field research one informant from Akuran village claimed the faces represented a powerful spirit called Raram and the dentated elements around the eyes represented spears.  (Shields of Melanesia edited by Harry Beran and Barry Craig )

$3,500 AUD