Pitt Rivers Museum

Emblazoned Trobriand War Shields Collection

Shield

1960.3.1

Made by: 1889-1890 – Trobriand Islands
Material: Wood Plant            - Pigment – Cane Plant
Process: Carved – Painted
Dimensions: L = 77M, W 9 (at top) = 269Mm, W (at base) = 345Mm, Thickness = 36Mm
Collected: 1906
Field Collector: Mr. G.H. Bardsley (donor’s Father, see Below)
PRM Source: Mrs. Olive Bytheway (collector’s Daughter)
Acquired: Donated  3 1960

Notes:
Accession book entry MRS OLIVE BYTHEWAY, 90 WYNUM ROAD, NORMAN PARK, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.  Collection made by her father, Mr. G.H. Bardsley in 1889-1890 while working as a carpenter and lay preacher at the first Wesleyan Mission DOBU ISLAND, D’ENTRECASTEAUX, ISLANDS, [insert: ‘MELANESIA, N.E. PAPUA] TROBRIAND ISLANDS. Wooden shield, oblong, curved, with characteristic design painted in red & black on white ground. L.77cn. Width, top, 26.9cm, bottom 34.5, thickness 3.6.  Cane handle insert.’ [JC 26 2 1997]

No additional information on catalog index cards. [JC 26 2 1997]

The PRM collection of Trobriand war shields was apparently examined by Patrick Glass; see page 61 of ‘The Trobriand Code: An Interpretation of Trobriand War Shield Designs,” by Patrick Glass, Anthropos, Vol. LXXXI (1986), pp. 47-63. [JC 26 2 1997]
Photographed March 25, 1997 by Stephen Watters, California State University – Sacramento, CA USA

Length 79 cm, thickness 3.5 cm, width at widest point 35.5 [SWW]

Condition notes: This shield contains several puncture holes that appear to be caused by a sharp object such as a spear. The wood is cracking in places. The white paint is almost gone and the red is faded. Some of the cane handle is missing and some, I believe, is gone. This is a fairly large shield, but not the largest here. [SWW: 25.3.1997]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special thank you to Jeremy Coote, Curator PRM, for assistance and access.

Photograph Copyright assigned to PRM, used for educational, non-profit purposes on website only. SWW: 25.03.1997

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN AT PRM MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED FROM THIS WEBSITE SWW: 25.03.1997 / 25.04.2010.