A Broad Shield by a Once Knowm Maker

Today I want to tell you about a sublime cultural art object, a broadshield made by an artist whose name was not recorded, a once known maker who lived along the Upper Murray River in between New South Wales and Victoria. Broadshields were made as defensive weapons but also given to the young initiate at the time of their introduction to manhood. The design is incised with markings that were possibly made by a possum jaw engraver or with stone tools. It is also inlaid with white ochre and red ochre. The designs on this shield encode the maker's relationship to country and his identity in the land. It is also a statement, a map about country, a way of perceiving country. This artistic system has endured for over 65,000 years. It therefore precedes European invasion of Australia. It also is displayed as a work of art and not as a colonised artefact in a glass case. During the time of first contact, Indigenous people suffered immense losses and the shields are there as emblematic of warfare against the usurpers of their lands.