Current Pitt Rivers Museum Information About the Shields Displayed in Bethnal Green Museum

Australian Heileman or Shield


Previous record

Next record

How to read the information in a record

Parrying sticks and shields, Africa

Parrying shields of double antelopes' horns, India

Long narrow shields from the Asiatic Isles

Back to the beginning of 'current information'


Find out more about Australian shields


1874 catalogue entry:
52 to 55. HEILEMANS. Western Australia. Showing a still further increase in breadth.

Front Back  

Pitt Rivers Museum record:
General Description: Australian shield, made of wood, decorated with incised and painted lines.
Accession number: 1884.63.1
Continent: Australia Country: Australia Region: Western Australia
Dimensions: L = 735 mm, max W = 135 mmL = 728 mm W [at handle] = 105 mm
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 11 Shield Heilemans. W Australia (54)
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Shields from different localities. Wood shield, heilemans 54
Accession book heading for 1884.63.1 - 90 - Design (Development of Geometrical)
Accession Book IV entry - Roughly shaped parrying shield, surface ornamented with red and white alternate grooved and gouged lines W Australia (10) [Drawings]
Card Catalogue entry - ALF 54. Western Australia. 54. Roughly shaped parrying shield, surface ornamented with red and white alternate grained [sic] or gouged lines. 10. Original Pitt Rivers collection.
Hand-written on object - Heileman W Australia PR 54
Other information - Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A). Handle is carved from the whole. The shield is long and thin in shape but roughly shaped, the ends are particularly roughly shaped and one end looks either unshaped or damaged. Both sides have incised lines running from top to bottom. The back of the shield is decorated with red pigment only whereas the front has both red and white pigment. The red pigment is used for the higher parts and the white in the troughs of the incisions. Lines are not straight but gently curved.
PR number: 54

Displayed in Court (Geometric Art case C.145) at Pitt Rivers Museum.


Top of page