SHIELD, Papua New Guinea, so called “Astrolabe Bay Shield”, 19th century, cut and painted wood, back with cut out handle, with handwritten label from the 19th century, with personal name and “Neu Guinea” among others.

Description

Diameter approx. 80 cm

History: Commander Ferdinand Krokisius was between 1883-1886 commander of the corvette “Marie” which had then recently been built for the German Navy. In the spring of 1883, the ship follows the east coast of South America, and further south it picks up the members of the German Polar Expedition, which in the first international polar year 1882-1883 was on South Georgia. In the logbook there is an original photograph of the expedition members and some autographs on the back. For the feat, the captain receives a mountain in South Georgia named after him “Mount Krokisius”. Later that year Marie arrives in New Guinea where this ship and other German ones guard German colonial interests. During this part of the trip, Krokisius collects ethnographic objects, most of which are included in this theme auction. The trip eventually continues to Samoa and Australia to finally be back in Germany in February 1886.

History: Round shields from Astrolabe Bay on New Guinea are very rare. The site had an early German settlement which explains that it is featured in this particular collection. already in the 1920s the manufacture of these shields had ceased. See also British Museum Oc1892C25879

Provenance: Ferdinand Krokisius (1842-1908) collection from the 1880s, then Sante Göran Harder Krokisius Santesson (1894-1976) and there inherited to the current owner. The collection has been in Sweden since the early 20th century.Show more

Condition

Use and age-related wear

For more information about the object please contact Anders Svensson anders.svensson@auktionsverket.se.

Theme

The Captain's Collection