Hango war shield

Reference : 2183

Hango war shield

This finely proportioned shield is slightly wider at the top.
This is covered with a sheet of bark attached in a zigzag pattern by a rattan vine.
The front is decorated with a linear motif in white lime, topped with broken lines.
Fire-patinated verafa wood, bark, rattan, fiber, lime
Height: 1.40 m / Width: 0.58 m
Population Kamano. Eastern Highlands

Source :
– Collected in the village of Avananofi by district chief Kamda Kubo
says Lapun (the old man)
– Chris Boylan collection in the village of Henganofi
– Daniel Vigne Collection, Paris, Uzès

More details

This shield illustrates Daniel Vigne’s film, in which a tribal elder defines the motifs depicted.
According to the Kamanos, the motif refers to a small insect called Sissi kafa, which begins to sing just before dawn.
The moment when you can prepare or expect an attack on an enemy.
The broken lines at the top of the shield represent the gardens and their water channels.

For a similar model, see Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
De Young. 2017 New Guinea Highlands. Art From the Jolika Collection.
Page 288

Price: €12,000

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