102 BULLETIN 137, UNITED STATES NATIONAL. MUSEUM 



etchings is that of a series of rectangular paneling on both sides 

 which becomes a circular scroll-like design on the boss; the boss 

 terminates in a truncated tufted surface; tufts of horsehair appear 

 at the lateral edges from the base upward two-thirds the distance 

 to the top. A suspension cord of native cotton and braided bark 

 fiber reaches from the upper transverse reinforcing clamp to the 

 lower. 



Length of shield, 117 centimeters (3 feet 9 inches) ; width, 49.4 

 centimeters (19 inches). Collected by Arthur R. Fergusson. (PI. 1.) 

 Cat. No. 324373, U.S.N.M. 



Shield with prongs^ Igorot^ Mountain province^ northern Luzon. — 

 Formed from one piece of hardwood of medium weight and durabil- 

 ity. The body is cut at the top, leaving three projecting prongs 

 extending 29 centimeters (11.4 inches) above the body of the shield, 

 one at the center and one at each lateral edge. Another large section 

 is cut from the body at the base, leaving two projecting prongs ex- 

 tending a distance of 35.5 centimeters (14 inches) below the body, 

 one at each lateral edge. The prongs are rounded in section through- 

 out their course and have a greater diameter than the body of the 

 shield. The lateral edges are also rounded in section and have the 

 same thiclmess as the extended prongs, which are thicker than the 

 comparatively thin surface of the body. The body becomes uni- 

 formly narrower from the top to the base; it is concave on the reverse 

 and convex on the obverse; the most prominent part is at the boss, 

 under which lies the short but deep-set handle grip which is cut out 

 of the solid. There is no reinforcing median ridge at this point 

 serving also as a handle grip as in the Moro shields. Like the Moro 

 and other Philippine shields, however, it is cut for the left hand and 

 is so small as to accommodate only three fingers, leaving the little 

 finger below and the thumb at the top outside the grip, to dex- 

 terously manipulate the shield in parrjnng a blow. Where the Moro 

 shields have bamboo or hardwood clamps transversely placed across 

 the face and reverse of the shield near the upper and lower thirds of 

 the body, the Igorot shields have lacings of rattan passing through 

 perforations in the body, which fasten the two parallel reinforcing 

 strips of braided rattan bands, which pass entirely around the body 

 of the shield. In addition to the diamond-shape relief carving of the 

 boss area, two panels slightly elevated in low relief project in a cir- 

 cular outline from the top to the bottom on the obverse about a third 

 the distance from the lateral edges. The shield is otherwise plain on 

 both the reverse and the obverse; the color originally applied has 

 the faded appearance of purplish indigo blue derived from indigo 

 plants locally grown. 



Length of body, exclusive of the projecting prongs, 56 centimeters 

 (22 inches) ; width at top of body of shield, 26.5 centimeters (10.4 



