Massim Shield-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
This is a classic 19th century Massim shield, vayola, from the Trobriand Islands, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. The shield comes from the John B. Elliott Collection of Princeton, New Jersey. John B. Elliott (1928–1997) was former chairman of National Data Corporation and assembled a world-class collection of Asian art and Chinese calligraphy in the 1960s/70s. The shield is 26½” (67.3 cm) in height.