This item is a very large shield from Western Australia. The length of the entire upper surface is covered with deeply incised zig-zag grooves. The entire upper surface has remnants of red and white ochre and areas of black that may be associated with fire, especially on one of the tips. The cross section is lenticular and the edge view shows a gentle curvature so that when the shield is placed on a table top with the ends touching the table, the mid section is raised several centimeters from the surface. The handle is carved deeply into the reverse side. The reverse side is almost smooth with a hint of shallow grooving from the forming process. The shield is in very good to excellent condition with no missing pieces, only minor edge chipping near the tips which has been smooth down with continued use. This is an older example of this type of shield. It was probably made in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century. Length = 81 cm , Weight = 1334 gm.