This large parrying shield was made out of Mulga in the first half of the 20th Century by Aborigines in the Central Desert region of Australia. It was collected by Ben Ruhe during his travels in the 1950s, so it is at least 60 years old and probably much older. The shield in not decorated. It is narrow and very thick and heavy. This type of shield was used for close combat fighting. The handle is integrated into the body of the shield. It is in excellent condition with no damage from use, but there are several closed age cracks on the back face as commonly found on thick hardwood artifacts that lose moisture as they age.