An extremely fine and early War-Shield, or epok. These shields are representations of important ancestors. The face on this example is carved with more prominent features then most and shows large pig tusks jutting from the nose to encircle the protruding mouth. The incised decoration on this example is unusual and very finely done. The central vertical band is carved with 5 stylized human figures in the splayed hocker position. The concentric scroll patterns one either side of the central ridge are very well balanced and rhythmic. A large quadruped or stylized human figure is carved on the forehead again in the splayed hocker position. The outer edges of the shield are carved with dentate motifs and the right side of the shield is pierced along its length to support the imposing fiber fringe that would normally be attached. The rear is scooped out with two vertical pierced ridges and one cross bar remaining for the handle. Lower Sepik River to the Lower Ramu River coastal area, New Guinea, Melanesia. Wood and cane with a fine deep red ochre pigment and lime highlighting (no know restorations or repairs).

Stone carved. 160 x 22 x 17 cm. 19th century. Provenance : Joe Hloucha, Prague; Náprstek Ethnographic Museum, Prague; Will Hoogstraate, Amsterdam; possibly Konietzko, Hamburg; E. Urhart, Santiago & Paris; John Friede, New York.

“This shield N° 26 617 was in the Náprstek Museum from 1936 to 1965. In 1936 it was acquired from Czech collector Josef Hloucha (1881-1957) and in 1965 it was exchanged for other objects with Mr. Will Hoogstraate from Amsterdam (Galerie D´Eendt n.v., Spuistraat 270-272). It is noted in the inventory book translated from the Czech : "War shield from black wood, decorated with carving and lime, height 158,6 cm, width 22,8 cm. Oceania, New Guinea, Sepik". The number 64/36 indicates that this object was acquired in 1936, as the 64th item of the year. It is also noted that the object was exchanged for others with Mr. Hoogstraate from Amsterdam.“ Information kindly provided by Monika Badurova, curator for South America & Oceanic Department, Náprstkovo museum on 14/02/07.

Joe Hloucha, the author and traveler, began his collecting career in the late 1890’s. He displayed his African and Oceanic collections in Prague's newly opened Trade-fair Palace, in 1929, and in the following year repeated the same process - this time as an unsuccessful commercial undertaking in Berlin. Perhaps due to rampant inflation and economic depression in Germany he sold virtually nothing and consequently accepted the offer of a stage-by-stage purchase of his collections by the Czechoslovak state. Emil Filla, the leading cubist Czech painter and a ministry official as well, played a prominent role in the arrangement of this transaction. In 1935 an exhibition of the Hloucha ethnic collection organized by Filla was held in SVU, Mánes. This highlights Hloucha's contact with Czech modern artists, many who acquired ethic objects from him for their own collections. The museum continued the purchasing of the collection during World War II. Eventually in 1957 the remainder of the collection, by bequest became the property of the Czechoslovak State.

There is a small paper label on the rear of the shield with the N° 100 and covered in translucent wax. This appears to be an old auction lot number from the French auction house Hotel Drouot and seems to predate the Museum inventory number. It is possible that Hloucha purchased the shield in the very first years of the 20th century from an auction which, while mostly un-catalogued, were held on a regular basis at Drouot.

See similar examples in the JOLIKA collection (John & Marcia Fried) De Young Museum, San Francisco. Others are in the National Museum of Ethnography in Budapest and yet another formerly in the Greub collection, Basel.

Ref.:

Adam, L.: 1930 - Sammlung Joe Hloucha, Prag. Ostasien, Ozeanien, Afrika, Japanische Graphik. Berlin. (Catalogue)

Greub, S. (ed.): ART OF THE SEPIK RIVER. Basel, Tribal Art Center. 1985.

NEW GUINEA ART – Masterpieces From The JOLIKA Collection of Marcia & John Friede. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco & 5 Continent Editions, San Francisco & Milano, 2005.

SHIELDS OF OCEANIA: ed.: Beran, Harry & Craig, Barry. Crawford House Press & Oceanic Art Society, Australia, 2005.