Combat shield "kalasag"

Description:

Northern Philippines, Luzon, Bontoc (Igorot), 19th cent.
H. 102,5 cm, B. 32 cm, T. ca. 15 cm
Wood, black lacquer, rattan. Typical battle shield of the Bontoc on Luzon. The shield has a very good patina and a graceful appearance. The Bontoc used to be feared among the other Igorot as warriors and headhunters. The typologically unmistakable, elegant shield is made of light wood from a single piece, the handle is incorporated into the pronounced colouring of the shield. Linear elements such as the opposing circular segments in a vertical direction are incorporated as decoration. Four strong woven rattan strips in a horizontal direction give the shield additional stability. Black lacquer was applied to the front and back of the shield. The base and top are notched so that the overall appearance resembles a highly stylised human figure with raised arms - an element that is also common to other shields from the Philippines. The shields thus become the alter ego of their owners or this fact is visualised.
Collected from an old German private collection since the 1950s
The shields of the Igorot are basically rectangular and go back to the free-standing parrying shield. The original form of the parrying shield was most likely the stick held in the centre, which could be used to ward off enemy blows with sticks and swords. The hand clutching the stick at the centre of gravity remained unprotected. The next step was to cut a grip hole into the back of a thick parrying stick, whereby the hand was protected by the area of the stick facing the opponent. Shields salawaku of the Moluccas are still very close to this shape. The shield of the Igorot is a highly efficient protective weapon that is ideally suited for man-to-man combat. It is large enough to protect the crouched body behind it. The upper prongs are used to protect the head while providing good visibility and to catch the enemy's spear or axe and hinder him by tilting the shield. Sometimes the prongs are also driven between the opponent's legs to cause him to stumble and fall. The two lower prongs cover the legs against blows. They can also bind the opponent's weapons. The lower notch is supposedly used to hold a fallen or wounded enemy on the ground in order to cut off his head. However, this assessment is probably an imaginative Western interpretation; it can hardly be realised in practice.