• "Those of Area A are rectangular in shape, with an ancestor figure at the top, phallic in formation...."
• "Area B shields are wider, more oval, with a clearly separated head section most often called the rayfish, visi, but sometimes referred to as a turtle, mbu, or a cassowary, pi. The entire shape of the shield is that of a phallus."
• "Area C has the largest shields, the top coming to a point, the bottom flat. The top area is an abstracted human head, with the central hour-glass form being the forehead, the sides the cheeks."
• "Area D shields are similar to those of Area C and may be mistaken from them at times. However, the head often has a clear-cut, incised eyes and nose and a completely different style of motifs."

Figure 3: Asmat war shield collected at Komasjma Village, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, incised with an unusual floral motif. (Area C).
Old Asmat shields were roughed out with stone tools and the fine relief detailing finished with cassowary bone chisels or shell tools. The coastal people make chisels from nails salvaged from driftwood and have apparently been doing this for a long time. We found that the backs of many shields from Areas C and D are still shaped with the distinctive dish-shaped cuts of stone tools, even though most carvers have steel tools and use them to carve the fronts and designs. On the coast, shields are made from the lightweight prop roots of mangrove trees, but inland a harder wood is used. Most shields are large, from roughly 5 to 6 feet tall (170 - 200 cm), although smaller ones are made, especially for sale.
The white color comes from burned and powdered mussel shells on the coast or, farther inland, from kaolin clays. Yellow comes from clay traded out from the foothills behind the Asmat swamp. When burned it turns into the red colors. Black comes from crushed charcoal. All colors have magical qualities and represent different aspects of the Asmat world, both seen and unseen. Red is the color of beauty and power. The Asmat say that red painted around the eyes "imitates the color around the eyes of a black king cockatoo when angry and gives a man a fearsome look."
Figure 4: Asmat war shield collected on the Braza River, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The design is probably a fish pattern, enam. (Area D)
The Asmat Shields
Traditionally, shields were carved prior to a headhunting reprisal raid, which was organized to avenge the death of the ancestor for whom the shield was named. A shield always represents an ancestor. It is named after him and the ancestor's spirit is believed to be present in the shield and make the owner fierce, powerful and invincible. Shields are considered so powerful that it may control the owner. Shields also provide spiritual help to the owner in hunting regular prey for food.
A shield is carved out of the lightweight flattened (or plank) buttress root of a mangrove tree-- the root is planed to half an inch thick, except for a protrusion left on one side for a handle. The front of the shield is carved in high relief. They include symbols of wild boar tusks or bones, flying foxes, the tails of tree kangaroos, whirlpools. Some symbols are believed to be so powerful that just by seeing these symbols, the enemy will flee in terror or be immobilized in fear. But such powerful symbols require strict rituals of appeasement. A special feast, the yamas pokumbu is held to call upon the ancestor's spirit to enter the war shields.