Rainforest shield (scorpion design) and sword

‘ .  .  .  see these sharp corners .  .  .  My great Aunt reckoned they’re supposed to be .  .  . scorpion  .  .  .   you know [the] sting on his tail  .  .  . ’

– Michael Boiyool Anning

Shields and swords like these were traditionally made only by several communities from the rainforest region and were made and used by men for ceremonial fighting and battles. Markings such as cuts and indentations, including holes from spears and bullets, can be seen in many historical shields held in museum collections. The swords used with the shields were large weapons that required strength and considerable skill to use.

The shields were cut from the soft wood of the buttress roots of native figtrees and the surface prepared. Two initiated men would decorate the shield, painting from opposite ends. Designs could belong to an individual or be determined by the owner’s kinship group. By incorporating blood into the black pigment, the shield’s maker imparted his personal spirit, giving the shield more power to protect the owner during battle. The finished shield would be presented to a young man after his initiation ceremony.

In the 1930s remaining members of Michael Boiyool Anning’s grandparents’ generation were relocated to tribal missions. After this time, people stopped making shields and swords, but the knowledge of traditional practices continued to be passed down by the older people in the communities. Anning’s art practice revives aspects of this tradition and he draws on stories told by relatives and elders, as well as artefacts found in museum collections. Shields such as Rainforest shield (scorpion design) are contemporary interpretations of traditional designs. This shield is a replica of an historical Yidinyji shield in the South Australian Museum.

Like his ancestors, Anning uses a similar method of production as he shapes his shields by hand. Occasionally he makes slash marks in the shields as a reminder that they were once used in combat. He decorates his shields with natural pigments and ash that he collects from an area near his home at Ravenshoe.

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See also . . .

Learn about the artist Michael Boiyool Anning.
Learn about the community of Ravenshoe.