Solomon Uslander people / Shield / mid-19th century

Solomon Uslander people
Shield
mid-19th century
View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below

This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.

Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .

Creator Nationality: Asian; Pacific; Melanesian; Solomon
Creator Name-CRT: Solomon Uslander people
Title: Shield
View: Full View
Creation Start Date: 1834
Creation End Date: 1866
Creation Date: mid-19th century
Creation Place: Solomon Islands
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Classification Term: Implements
Materials and Techniques: Cane, clay, mother-of-pearl, pigment, fiber
Dimensions: H. 33 1/4 in. (84.5 cm)
AMICA Contributor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: New York, New York, USA
ID Number: 1978.412.730
Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1972
Rights: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Context:

The Solomon Islands comprise a double chain of seven large and numerous smaller islands lying to the east of New Guinea. One of the distinctive characteristics of Western and Central Solomon Islands art is the use of elaborate pearl-shell inlay. Probably manufactured on Guadalcanal and traded to neighboring islands, the oval war shields of the Western Solomons consist of tightly woven wicker over strips of cane. Though the majority were plain, a small number of shields were overmodeled with parinarium nut paste and decorated with elaborate pearl-shell inlay. Fewer than two dozen of these inlaid shields, probably dating from the mid-nineteenth century, are known to have survived. Given their fragile nature, it is unlikely such inlaid shields were used in combat. Instead, they may have served as ceremonial symbols of a warrior's rank and status.

AMICA ID: MMA_.1978.412.730
AMICA Library Year: 2000
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright The Metropolitan Museum of Art

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.