Shield (Weapons: Accessories)

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Wooden shield with central boss at front and carrying handle to the rear, carved in one piece so hand grip is in the hollowed out boss. The shield carved from a rectangular shape, formed with convex base, concave sides around boss, and above, a shorter section with concave sides. The top of the shield is flat but with projecting pegs at two points, and remains of a joint visible, suggesting a missing piece. Above and below the boss section concave sides there are small triangular wooden points added to emphasise the curved shape, held on by pegs and originally by horizontal strips of cane, flat on one side, that were tied onto the front and back running across the shield at these points: only one piece, above the boss, remains, with traces of the other below and on the back. Two sets of five small horizontal cane strips are tied on below the boss and two sets of three above. The centre of the boss, its surrounding ring on the shield face, the area above and below the boss and each end of the shield front all carved with floral motifs, painted in red and green, with a red edge, against the yellow ground colour of the shield. The side edges of the shield pierced with a series of holes all round (as though previously with tufts of hair). A short length of plaited string, and a loop of wire tied to the rear handle. The use of the lotus as a decoration is found in the 'utap' shield of Kalimantan. However the shape is that of a Bagobo war shield from the Philippines.

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