This item is a Beanwood shield from the Central Desert region of Australia. Both sides have incised longitudinal fluting. The handle is carved deeply into the reverse side and the edges adjacent to the handle curl inward, giving this shield additional function so that it can be used as a coolamon. The shield is in very good to excellent condition with no missing pieces, only minor surface age cracking. What appears to be a crack in the photo on the bottom edge of the reverse side is not a crack. It is a natural discoloration of the wood where the base of a branch initiated from the trunk. This is an older example of this type of shield. Length = 59 cm ; Weight = 1174 gm