This parrying shield was made out of Mulga in the first half of the 20th Century by Aborigines in the Western Desert region of Australia. It was collected by my brother during his travels in the early 1990s. My brother purchased it from Aborigines at a trading station in Western Australia. The Aborigines were taking older shields that belonged to the tribe and painting them so that they would sell better to the tourists. Therefore the shield was probably made before 1950, but painted in 1992. The shield is decorated with Aboriginal style art. It is narrow and heavy. This type of shield was used for close combat fighting. The handle is integrated into the body of the shield. It is in excellent condition with no damage from use.