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Parrying sticks and shields, Africa
Parrying shields of double antelopes' horns, India
Long narrow shields from the Asiatic Isles
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Find out more about Australian shields
1874 catalogue entry:
49. to 51. SHIELD of the form called Murukanye, showing a further increase in breadth.
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Pitt Rivers Museum record:
| General Description: Australian shield, made of wood. |
| Accession number: 1884.30.10 |
| Continent: Australia Country: Australia |
| Dimensions: L = 990 mm, max W = 140 mm |
| Condition: Conserved |
| When collected: ?Prior to 1874 |
| Other owners: Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display by ?early 1874. |
| Notes: Black book entry - Screen 2 7 and 8 Shields 'Murukanye', shewing a still greater increase in width (50 and 51) Delivery Catalogue II entry - Shields from different localities. Wood shield, murukanye. Australia 51 Accession Book IV entry - Murukanye, similar but narrower [than 1884.30.9], with ornament of 5 [sic] discs in a line with hatched lines along the edges of the shield. N Australia [Drawing] Card Catalogue entry - ALF 51. 1884.30.10. N Australia. 51 = 8 black. Lenticular parrying-shield, murukanye, narrow with ornament of 5 discs in a line with hatched lines along the edges of the shield. Original Pitt Rivers collection. Written on object - "Murukanye" N Australia PR 51 Hand-written label stuck to object - Murukanye Australia [NB this is not the usual handwriting associated with Pitt Rivers documentation, it might be that the label dates from before Pitt Rivers' ownership] Other information - Originally attributed to N. Australia. Identified by Howard Morphy. Displayed in 'The First Australians' exhibition at PRM, 1988-89. Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A). The handle is carved from the whole. There is no decoration on the inside of the shield. Note that there are 8 discs on the front (the discs are round plain discs within the decorative scheme). Red and white pigments is used on the front, the red is used for the discs , the incised lines are white. PR number: 51 Displayed in Upper Gallery Shield Displays at Pitt Rivers Museum. |