Lot O2 - Asmat Ancestor Shield

Asmat Ancestor Shield (Jamasj Style)

West Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia
Mid-20th century
Height: 71 cm

Carved wooden shield in the traditional jamasj style of the Asmat people of West Papua. The elongated form is surmounted by a carved ancestor head, symbolizing spiritual protection and clan identity. The front is decorated with bold, symmetrical scroll motifs in raised relief, highlighted with white and ochre pigments over a natural wood ground.

Asmat shields were historically used in warfare and ceremonial contexts, embodying ancestral power and serving as protective emblems. Examples of reduced scale such as this were commonly collected during the mid-20th century.