Tribalartcollector forums

Hello all,

This was given to me 30 years ago and I've always been curious as to it's meaning and origin.

I would imagine it's purely decorative art with no value but would love to know what the twins represent.

Thank you!

Sorry for the late reply, this is a An Elema Laua Shield from the Papuan Gulf, made for tourists.. the real ones are quite rare and expensive! see the added example.

The picture below has them in use,


For more information you could purchase the following book:

Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art And Society in the Papuan Gulf of New Guinea

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 094472230X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0944722305

This is fantastic, thank you for the informative reply. Happy to finally understand a little bit of what i have.