Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 3rd December 2017, 01:37 AM   #1
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
Default Bontoc Tattoo Shield

I just acquired this Bontoc shield. What is different about this is that it has painted tattoos all over the front central section.

Tattoos were given not just to Igorot warriors but also to weapons belonging to warriors of distinction like head axes and even shields. Shields seem rarer either because they were not many made or they did not survive in great numbers.

Enjoy!
Attached Images
    
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 04:34 AM   #2
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Default

Beautiful shield Jose and what a great new addition to your collection. Can you tell me if decorations of this style were only added to shields of this particular style (wider at the top than then bottom), or were they also added to the more common examples like the one shown below? One more question, is the spear rest attached to the inside of the shield pictured below common? I only ask because I have seen only one other shield with this feature. Congratulations on being able to score this very rare piece.

Best,
Robert
Attached Images
  
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 09:39 AM   #3
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,761
Default

Hello Jose,

beautiful shield, thank you for sharing! But I doubt that it is a Bontoc shield. I think that it is a Gaddang shield, the one Robert has shown is a typical Bontoc shield.

Best regards,
Detlef
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 01:26 PM   #4
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,857
Default

Great shield! I think it's one of the nicest I have seen with the tattoos.

Congrats!
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 03:51 PM   #5
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,761
Default

Here a picture taken from "On Expedition & Tribal Art", W.T.C. Kleiman, page 90.
Attached Images
 
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 07:27 PM   #6
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
Default

Thank you, Sajen. As I think about it, it could be Gaddang, or it could also be Tinguian. I see the museum attribution with supports your assertion. I'll double check this.

Yes tattoos were added to Gaddang, Kalinga, Bontoc, Tinguian, and perhaps others.

Here are some Kalinga tattoo shields. Notice that the inside of the Kalinga examples are tattooed on the inside as well.
Attached Images
    
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 3rd December 2017, 07:32 PM   #7
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
Default

Here are 2 Bontoc tattooed shields, one painted, one carved:
Attached Images
  
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th December 2017, 11:57 PM   #8
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
Default

I am now leaning toward a Tinguian origin for this shield. Here is an example from the Smithsonian Institute. This is from Protection, Power, and Display (p.70):
Attached Images
 
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th December 2017, 12:01 AM   #9
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
Default

Here is another example from the Peabody Museum at Harvard University in Protection, Power, and Display (p. 69):
Attached Images
 
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:03 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.