An Early Massai Shield
An Early Massai Shield
Maasai or surrounding neighbors
German East Africa - British East Africa - Tanganyika ( Kenya, Tanzania)
Late 19th - Early 20th century (ca. 1900)
Leather (cape buffalo), wood, pigment
Height: 99,1cm
Width: 68,6cm
Collection Date: 2023
Collection Number: 356
An early shield from the Maasai or closely related peoples of Kenya and Tanzania. Made from heavy cape buffalo rawhide that is stretched over a wooden frame forming an oval convex elliptical canvas (o'longo). Goat leather bindings (still with hair intact) around a twig wooden frame. A heavier center vertical wood strut reinforces the reverse and acts as a handle grip. Red and black pigment in patterns of crescents and triangular sirata motifs on the front side. The pigment now is well faded, and the front left side has some damage, possibly battle damage. There is also an old collection tag attached to the backside. An impressive and heavy battle hardened Maasai shield.
Photograph 9: Warriors of the Gwas' Ngishu Maasai, Kenya 1899.
Photograph 10: Two Massai in war attire.
Nickel, Helmut. “Arms and Armor in Africa”. 1971. Page 37 – 40
Spring, Christopher. “African Arms and Armor”. 1993. Page 122 – 123
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1906-0406-5
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1904-233
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1894-415
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1911-0510-2
https://african-weapons.com/gallery?76-l-1308-masai-90-x-44-5-cm
https://african-weapons.com/gallery?masai-1900-konietzko-93-x-53-5-cm-kl