Narrow parrying shield, engraved with red and white narrow lines that run vertically down the length of the shield, and diagonally across a central band.
Shields were used as protective devices in many areas of Aboriginal Australia. They were made of both hardwood and softwood and were used in individual combat or in group warfare. Parrying shields were effective against clubs and boomerangs and were used to deflect such weapons. Shields were often decorated with chalk or red ochre and by parallel lines carved into the wood. The hollowed out handle formed a cavity in which ochres could be prepared while the convex surface could be used for making fire by the sawing method. Narrow shields decorated with grooved zigzag patterns coloured with ochres were transformed into ritual objects and were often referred to as 'dancing shields'.
fighting
