Australian Aboriginal Toy Woomera & Shield
 

Picked up this pair of old Aboriginal pieces a while back and thought that someone else on the board might enjoy seeing them. The little Woomera is only about 6 3/4" long. The attention to detail and patination is interesting. The small shield is heavily patinated inside the fingerholes. All I need now is a toy spear, boomerang, and club to finish the set.

The shield look really ancient and have by this a niece charisma!

Regards,

Detlef

Interesting lot.

The shield looks more like a fire starter of some kind, the recess used to start the burning of the kindling and the paddle shape to both protect the small starting of the fire from wind and also used as a fan to grow the fire....the shape would be useful to hold between the legs of knees.

Gav

Gavin,
I did get a fire starter in the same collection, but it was a a pair of decorated sticks, one with the ground in round marks from use. The holes go through the interior to the opposite side. No place for it to push down against, unless maybe it was used until it went all the way through?