A shield from Sulawesi .

Wooden shield with bicolor hair and nice rattan strips along the edges.

The inlay is very rare and interesting as it is a mixture of bone china with old imported dutch " Petrus Ragout & Co ceramic". Pottery of this company was imported to the Dutch Indies on large scale in the 19th century.

See also a very old  shield  TM 2911-1 in the Tropenmuseum with this inlay .

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The ( often bone) triangles of the Kanta shields are often  missing parts. On old pics we often see warriors carrying incomplete shields. Seen to the ceramic inlay what was more common in Moluccan shields it is possible that this example comes from the Tomini Gulf, an area that had more contact with the Moluccas than the inland Sulawesi. 

 

Be aware....Kanta's from Sulawesi are often worn and in bad condition .

This example is however in very good condition with rattan intact

and all woodwork in very good condition.

On the lower are  two square sections  with very old different inlay,

One section is done with round ceramics  what looks like work from Ceram.

The other section is filled with old Chinese  porcelain buttons.

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A highly rare early example in very good condition.

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Size: 104  cm.

 

€ 3250,- HOLD

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 now 2850,- with unique free coffee table book !

 

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(PDF) The trade in European earthenware with the Dutch East 

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