VERY FINE ANTIQUE ABORIGINAL WUNDA SHIELD WESTERN AUSTRALIA C.1900

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VERY FINE ANTIQUE ABORIGINAL WUNDA SHIELD WESTERN AUSTRALIA C.1900 :
$1400.00

A VERY FINE ABORIGINAL WUNDA SHIELD WITH TRADITIONAL ZIGZAG PATTERN TO THE FRONT.I AM A STAND MAKER IN VICTORIAN FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS I HAVE WORKED FOR ALL sale HOUSES, GALLERIES, MUSEUMS AND PRIVATE COLLECTORS. I HANDLED HUNDREDS OF WUNDA SHIELDS AND FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST AUTHENTIC ONE OF THESE I HANDLED. QUITE A FEW OF THESE ARE ACTUALLY STILL MADE, BUT OF COURSE NOT USED ANY MORE. A LOT OF THE TRADE SHIELS ARE BEAUTIFUL IN SHAPE AND PROPORTIONS. NICE STRAIGHT OVAL SHAPES WITH PRISTINE AND ACCURATELY CARVED ZIGZAG PATTERNS WITH PERFECT OCHRES AND USUALLY QUITE HEAVY AS THEY ARE CARVED FROM HARDWOODS. THESE ARE PRETTY ART OBJECTS AND I HAVE SEEN PLENTY GO THROUGH LOTS OF SALES. BUT THEY ARE NOT THE REAL ARTIFACT!WESTERN DESERT ABORIGINES WERE NOMADS. THEY DID NOT DRAG AROUND HEAVY SHIELDS. EACH ARTIFACT HAD MULTI PURPOSES.THE SHIELD WE GOT HERE IS THE REAL DEAL. IT IS CARVED FROM A HARDWOOD, BUT CARVED SO THIN THAT IT WEIGHS LESS THEN 1/2 A KILO, 460 GRAMS. IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL ARCH WITH A SLIGHT TWIST THROUGH THE ENTIRE LENGTH. ZIGZAG FLUTING TO THE FRONT AND STRAIGHT FLUTING ALONG THE BACK. A VERY FINE SLENDER HANDLE CARVED TO THE BACK, WITH A SLIGHTLY WEDGED OPENING FOR A PERFECT FIT OF THE LEFT HAND. THE ENTIRE ITEM SEEMS TO BE STONE CARVED. A TOUCH TO UNEVEN FOR A STEEL TOOL. THE ITEM IS COVERED IN RED OCHRE WITH REMAINS OF THE ORIGINAL WHITE PIPECLAY IN THE FRONT FLUTING.A VERY INTERESTING SECTION AND PROVE OF EXCESSIVE USE, IS A SMALL SECTION TO THE BACK, JUST ABOVE THE HANDLE. THERE ARE REPEATED CUTTING MARKS. THE ITEM WAS USED AS A CUTTING BOARD. MOST LIKELY FOR CUTTING SINEW WITH A FLINT OR SHELL EDGE. THE ITEM HAS A TOP PATINA AND SHOWS GREAT AGE.THERE ARE MINOR, VERY OLD CHIPS TO THE EDGES.THE ITEM COMES WITH A GOOD QUALITY DISPLAY STAND.
THE ITEM IS 620 MM LONG AND 135 MM WIDE
POSTAGE WITHIN AUSTRALIA IS $ 25