Asmat Shield, Papua New Guinea Height: 84 cm Wood and pigments. Carved from a single log, this large shield is representative of the work of the Asmat people, who are famous for the expressive power of their art. Decorated with ancestral figures and symbolic motifs, it served both to provide protection and to affirm the group’s identity, reflecting the importance of ancestors in Asmat thought and ritual practices. Provenance: American gallery.