Lot O4 - Gulf Province Spirit Shield

Ceremonial Spirit Shield / Board

Papua Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea
Mid-20th century
Height: 104 cm

Elongated carved wooden ceremonial shield decorated with bold polychrome motifs in red ochre and white pigment. The composition features mirrored anthropomorphic figures, scroll motifs, and a central vertical axis typical of spirit imagery from the Papua Gulf region.

Such boards and shields were associated with ritual display and ancestral presence rather than purely functional warfare. The graphic, geometric carving style and rich pigment layering are characteristic of Gulf ceremonial art traditions.

Good condition with age-related wear, surface patina, and pigment loss consistent with mid-20th century origin.