Modern Power Symbols incorporated into Shields.

[Bill M]

Used by permission of Erik Farrow. Thanks Erik.

I saw this shield at a Tribal Textiles and Art show in New York about a year ago. Erik had recently sold it.

"The comic book character The Phantom was introduced into New Guinea as a teaching tool in schools and missionaries, and was then picked up by the warriors to depict the brave warrior who could not die. This shield is characteristic of the later shields that were made after the 1960's and is made of metal and decorated with mostly commercial paints. Tribal warfare and the use of shields have continued into the 21st century in the remote highland areas." ---- Erik Farrow.

The license plate came from the front of a military vehicle. The warriors had seen it in action and decided that license plate had the power of the vehicle since it preceded the vehicle, maybe it helped to protect it --- a kind of shield for it --- so they incorporated it as another power symbol on the shield.

Certainly our technology must seem like very powerful magic to more primitive people.

Does anyone have any other examples like this?