Ancient Wunda Shield with Zig Zag Designs

A Wunda shield, Ashburton, Western Australia, 19th century; a…
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A Wunda shield, Ashburton, Western Australia, 19th century; a fine and early Wunda shield with classical deep incised zig zag designs on the front, the back showing the great age of this shield with incised vertical striations bisected with horizontal striations, traces of ochre painting and ancient patina. Written on back 'Ashburton no. 14' Provenance: Lord Alistair McAlpine (1942-2014); a British businessman, politician and author who was an advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he was a lifetime collector in many fields including Aboriginal Art. He was an early collector of the American painter mark Rothko and could easily see the sophisticated aesthetics of Aboriginal Art and artefacts 66 x 16 cm

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  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
  • Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.

    As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.

    Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.

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