This ceremonial dancing shield from Geelvinick Bay has a pleasing design of abstract chevrons with two scrolling horizontal bands that are said to contain the ‘eyes’ of the ancestors. The shape of this shield reflects the general hourglass shape of Salawaka shields. This is not surprising as this area of northwest coast of New Guinea was under the control of the sultans of Tidore in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia until the late 17th century. This seldom seen shield type came from an old colonial Dutch collection.