Photographed by Trish Barnard.
Accession Number: QE26223
Museum: Queensland Museum
Date Acquired: 1989
Collector: Gladys Jean Henry (1921-2010)
Date Collected: 1960s
Where from: Murray Upper
Description: L860mm x W350mm x D100mm. Wood, natural pigments (ochre and charcoal). Called Begon by Jirrbal and Girramay people. Accompanied by long bagur, hardwood swords, these begon, decorated shields distinguished North East Queensland groups from all other Aboriginal groups, and were used in conflict and ceremony up until 1940s. The begon, shield was cut from the buttress flange of the native fig tree found in the rainforest, such as the Blue quandong (Elaeocarpus grandis) or Milky pine (Alstonia scholaris). After shaping the shields, two men would paint them with four different natural pigments of white pipe clay, red and yellow ochres, or using abstract designs that represented both animal and plant totems of importance, emphasising their spiritual relationship to their country. This object was part of Gladys Henry’s (1921-2010) collection.
QM acquired this object by transfer from JCU Collection. Originally donated to JCU by the Australia Council. In 1979 Gladys Henry sold the collection of 588 artefacts to the Aboriginal Arts Board of Australia Council for $5,800 who then deposited the collection with the Material Culture Unit at James Cook University. A decade later in 1989 the Australia Council then gifted the collection to James Cook University. This gesture was celebrated with an official handover on 10 April 1990 attended by dignitaries from both organisations, Gladys Henry and local traditional owner representatives, with performances by Waddama Dancers. The collection is still one of the most important collections to be assembled after Walter Roth travelled through the Cardwell and Tully region in the early 1900s, and contains excellent examples of material culture production that continued well into the 1970s. Some of Henry’s collection is also held at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Her daughter Valerie Keenan is the Arts Manager at Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre in Cardwell.
See: ‘Gladys Henry’ authored by Trish Barnard
http://www.jcucollections.org/?page_id=797
Contact: Chantal Knowles, Head of Cultures and Histories, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD 4001 AUSTRALIA
Phone: (07) 3842 9038