Warrumbi, Mendi Valley, PNG.

These shields, called warrumbi ( generally made from the wood of the warr tree ) and always oval in shape. This is a fine old shield, early contact period, with good patina. The design is typical Mendi abstract design, with the outer lines engraved into the surface of the shield. Note the fine pecked detail, that covers the red areas.

There is an underlying anthropomorphic meaning to these apparent abstract motifs.