Designs on the future: Aboriginal painted shields and baskets of tropical North Queensland, Australia

Aaberge, Bård;Barnard, Trish;Greer, Shelley;Henry, Rosita

Abstract

Iconic painted shields and baskets made by Aboriginal people of the North Queensland rainforest region have been collected and placed in museums all over the world. We describe the historical ethnographic context of the production and use of these things and explore transformations in their value through time. These things are of value to museums and were of value to the collectors who originally procured them. They were also of value to the Aboriginal producers and are of value today to their descendants. We reflect upon the concept of value by considering the different values that inform how the shields and baskets were valued in the past, and how their worth continues to be evaluated today.

Journal

Etropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics

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1448-2940

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Publisher

James Cook University

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DOI

10.25120/etropic.13.2.2014.3314