Distinctive and round, hide-covered shields have long been important insignia of manhood throughout the Horn of Africa, where they still connote the courage of warriors. In Ethiopia, shields are embellished in a variety of ways from the elaborate silver, velvet, and fur attachments of the Christian kingdom to the more subtle ridges and protrusions of the central and southern regions. This is a classic example of the kind of shield widely used by the Oromo and Sidamo peoples of southern Ethiopia. Such shields are made of buffalo hide or more rarely hippopotamus hide and are distinguished by sharp ridges radiating outward from a raised midrib and dotted protrusions forming outer and inner rings. The fringed edge of this shield adds to its visual interest.
Skilled specialists make shields by mounting hide over a concave frame that is embedded with stones. The hide is alternately pounded and oiled and then left to stretch taught as it dries. As seen here, the hide can be slit and sewn to draw it more tightly around the frame. Considered highly personal objects, a man’s shield and spear may be carried at his funeral by a male relative or displayed as a memorial to him.
- Material: hippopotamus hide
- Age: Approximately 50-60 yrs
- Origin: Ethiopia
- Condition: Good
- SKU: SHI-025
- Weight: 3.3 kg
- Dimensions: 62 x 62 x 1 cm