The Art of Avoidance: Decorated Shields from Aboriginal Australia See all the exhibitions.

The complex nature of society in Aboriginal Australia meant that every social event carried the possibility of conflict. Every Aboriginal man carried weapons at all times or kept them within reach. But shields also proclaimed the owner's identity when carved or painted with totemic designs. Shields had practical uses as receptacles or pillows. They were used to make fire by the friction method. These shields remind us of a rich Aboriginal tradition that extends back in time for at least 50,000 years before the present.