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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Taupou, post: 3233431, member: 45&quot;]As to the Moluccas shield, I would like to see the back view, to see if it conforms to how the grip, where one holds the shield, is carved.</p><p><br /></p><p>These are a popular souvenir item, used in war dance ceremonies throughout the former &quot;Spice Islands.&quot;&nbsp; In some groups, they are also given as part of a bridegrooms marriage gifts.&nbsp; The hourglass shape is iconic to Moluccas shields, and I have read that the arrangement of the inserted shell pieces represents parts of the body, and the number may represent enemies killed.&nbsp; This one, however, looks more in the decorative category.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The spear I would also suspect is a tourist item, based on the fact that it appears to have been cut down, to a size previously accepted by airlines.&nbsp; Those days, however, are probably gone.&nbsp; I remember bringing back a similar spear from Fiji to the U.S. on Quantas, when spears like this were allowed in the cabin itself.&nbsp; Similar forms, with the numerous barbs, are found on several islands in the South Pacific.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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