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Headdress ornament, "Sickness Shield", 20th century
Sago palm petioles, pigment, bindings
61 cm (24.5 in.)
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco L05.1.81

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "These objects, called "sickness shields" by their makers, were worn as headdress ornaments of masqueraders; after the dances they were displayed on the walls of houses "probably to ward off further dangerous attacks from the sickness spirits" (see Hoogerbrugge, 1995: 171-72, figs. 43 and 44). The motifs, "made under supervision of medicine men...depicted the 'spirit animals' that had brought sickness to the village" (ibid., 172). There are cave paintings near Amgotoro (Amgotro) village in the Yafi area with similar motifs (ibid., fig. 45). The Yafi pieces, first reported by K.W. Galis in 1956 after he visited the area, are also related to the sago palm petiole masks, nawowi, of the Edwaki people who live north of the Yellow River in Sandaun Province. Like the Yafi sickness shield, the nawowi mask consisted of two pieces of painted sago petiole tied back-to-back to a frame. They were also "used for the sickness ritual." (See Craig, 1975: 419-21, and fig. 3). Their use of the X-ray style, which is also found in the Elema art of the Gulf of Papua, is perhaps a connection with Australian Aboriginal iconography." (Catalog #362, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 142.)

Related Keywords
Shield Sickness ornament Headdress Francisco San Museums Arts Fine Gift Promised Friede John Marcia Art Jolika Amanab area border people Yabbi Yafi Oceania Jayapura S km 120 Rv Webb Papua West Guinea New Accessory Costume bindings pigment petioles palm Sago 1217200409230006 A360996 L05.1.81 AOA