Yarra - shield

This small, engraved wooden shield, painted in red ochre, was recently returned to the Yindjibarndi by the family of a German gardener who had collected artefacts in 1911 from Millstream Station where he had gone to work. Although he didn't stay long, the German collected a number of artefacts from the Yindjibarndi people who were working and living there. Kept in his family for many years, his descendants have now returned the shield back to its home country and family. Its small size suggests a ceremonial rather than utilitarian purpose. Culturally, shields are highly prized objects, used to lead dancers into the dance ground, and engraved with patterns that reflect the carvers’ origins.