A FINE BROAD SHIELD, SOUTH EAST AUSTRALIA,

carved in hardwood of leaf-like form terminating in flattened rectangular points at each end, the front elegantly engraved with meandering parallel zig-zag motifs and pierced twice in the centre for a handle's insertion, the reverse replete with adze markings likely to have been stone-cut, and an area of encrusted earth pigment, old shiny patina

Private collection, UK

The broad shield is in good overall condition with no visible repairs or restoration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Cf. For closely related examples of broad shields in the National Gallery of Victoria, the Burke Memorial Museum and the Museum of Victoria, see Cooper, C. et al., Aboriginal Australia, Australian Gallery Directors' Council, Sydney, 1981, pp.86-88, pl.S40-S47; see also Barbier, J.P. and Benitez-Johannot, P., Shields: Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania from the Barbier Müller Collection, Paris, 2000, p.233, pl.98; Black, R., Old and New Australian Aboriginal art, Angus and Robertson, 1964, pp.84-5, figs.72, 73; and Brough Smyth, R., The Aborigines of Victoria: with notes relating to the habits of the natives of other parts of Australia and Tasmania compiled from various sources for the Government of Victoria, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1878, reprinted 1972, p.333, figs. 135–7, illus.

Broad shields of this particular type are found in south eastern Australia, mostly in Victoria, and usually carry finely incised designs featuring parallel zig-zags, meandering lines, linked diamond or lozenge shapes and, on occasion, figurative images. The designs engraved into the surfaces of extant shields form a record of the corpus of the graphic imagery once prevalent in the south east from the 19th century and earlier. Shields were cut from living trees with a stone axe, the maker cutting the shape from the layer beneath the outer bark; two holes were drilled in the middle of the shield to take a handle made from green wood which hardened on drying and provided a secure grip