This is an outstanding circa 1880 Apache War Shield collected from the Chiricahua Apache in Southeast Arizona. The large example is comprised of parfleche black bear hide wetted and stretched over a bent wood hoop frame. Some consider the Apache to not have access to Buffalo hide and subsequently used Black Bear, Elk, Deer, Horse and Cow hides such as this amazing example. The original hard wood carrying band is still intact on the reverse side and is made of hard wood wrapped with hide tightly. The Apache have been documented as not making shoulder straps or arm bands on the back side of their shields, but rather used a thick hardwood carrying band wrapped in hide; other examples documenting this are shown in the photo gallery for comparison. The shield has a slight warp from drying and true age. This is a larger, heavier war shield and not a dance or ceremonial shield. The front of the shield has old pigment mineral polychrome paint with old symbols that have faded with time, of what appears to be a sunburst and lightning bolts, painted in red, black, and green with traces of yellow ochre / ocher still on the shield. Apache shields, especially from the Chiricahua, are quite rare in the collecting community in comparison to Plains shields and other tribes. The shield is overall in good condition with stiff parfleche hide, much of the paint remnants still beautifully visible, some wear to the hide but no major cuts, the sinew hide lacing is still intact on the back and some old trade clothe still tied to the gripping section. One of the better more scarcely seen Apache example we have offered for sale. Other published examples of similar Apache shields with hard wood straps are shown in the photo gallery for comparison from authors and scholars such as John Baldwin. Provenance: From the ex-collection of Bob Allerton Dallas, Texas. Measures overall 26 inches across.