This large old Wundu shield was made out of a hardwood similar to Silky Oak (Lacewood) in the 19^th Century by Aborigines in the Western Desert region of Australia. The front face has very fine fluting in a Herringbone pattern. The back face has a small number of coarser incisions. The long axis is gently curved inward (convex on handle side). There are no age cracks or other damage to this shield. It has almost no flaws in the wood. It is one of the best shields I have ever seen coming out of Australia.. I acquired it from the Barclay Gallery in 1986. This is a large and very nice Aboriginal artifact.