This old shield was made out of Mulga in the first half of the 20th Century by Aborigines in the Central Desert. region of Australia. The front face is incised with 9 bands of parallel lines and dashes. The back face has 8 broken bands of incised lines and dashes. The outer edges of the shield have the characteristic blonde color of Mulga. The dark wood is dark red brown indicating an age of 75 - 100 years, but still properly made in the traditional Aboriginal ways. There are a few minor wood defects visible on the surface and two very short closed age cracks on the ends due to moisture loss over the years, but no major damage. This shield is in better condition than most that you will find. I acquired it from the Barclay Gallery in 1988.