Parrying shields

The complex designs laid into the surface of these finely modeled shields are a visual language that maps the ancestral landscapes on which they were made, and the individual and clan identities of their bearers. This graphic system varied among communities in southeast Australia, with each deploying a distinct name for their shields (such as mulka or drunmung). When fighting in land disputes, warriors used parrying shields to skillfully deflect blows from clubs. Men also carried and performed them during ceremonies to signal their clan affiliation and status.