Massim Vayola Shield, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea

Johann Friedrich Gustav Umlauff (1833-1889) Collection, Hamburg

Umlauff Museum, Hamburg

Josephine Clay Ford et Walter Buhl Ford II (1920-1991) Collection, New York

Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, Paris, 2011

Daniel Hourdé Collection, Paris, acquired from the above in 2011

Located off the eastern coast of New Guinea, the Trobriand Islands comprise a dozen atolls spread over 440 km². A part of the Massim region, this Melanesian area stands out for its elegant curvilinear art. 

Richly sculpted and painted in white, red and black, objects produced in the Trobriand Islands are generally embellished with incised and/or bas-relief engraved motifs.

This beautiful exemplar of a Vayola shield features bright colours and designs that are typical of the region. As insignia worn by high-ranking men, shields from the Massim area remain among the rarest in New Guinea, with production ceasing around 1900.

They were used in staged fights, and their distinctive traits are their small size and their engraved surface, which was then painted black, white and red with designs representing birds, snakes and insects. 

Beyond its protective function, the Vayola played a key role in affirming the identity and ritual status of its wearer: it embodied their Mana, understood as prestige and authority, while giving physical form to a range of symbols with mythical and protective significance, deeply rooted in Massim cosmology.