Lower Sepik River, PNG.

A most elegant example, it has four spirit faces, 3-dimensional in form. These faces are said to be water spirits, the spikes being water plants that disguise the spirit. The back has four substantial lugs with strong cane between, forming the typical handle. Ex-Moriarty collection, Sydney, M371, collected early 1960s on one of his first expeditions. He had three Yuat shields in his collection; this would be the finest.