Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 1st October 2008, 03:59 AM

NICE SHIELDS

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THESE ARE USUALLY MADE FROM HIPPO OR BUFFALOW HIDE IN THE SOUTHERN, CENTRAL REGION OF ETHIOPIA. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON FOR THE LARGE BUMP DESIGNS BUT THEY ARE TYPICAL FOR THIS TYPE OF SHIELD. THE ONE I HAVE AS WELL AS OTHERS I HAVE SEEN ARE LARGE, THICK AND HEAVY AND WOULD OFFER GOOD PROTECTION FROM EDGED WEAPONS. SOME HAVE A FLAT EDGE AND OTHERS HAVE A ROLLED EDGE TO BETTER RESIST A CUT TO THE SHIELD EDGE. THE EXAMPLE I HAVE WAS COLLECTED IN ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA. I HAD NOT SEEN THE METAL DESIGNS ON THE OLD EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST SO THAT MAY BE A MORE RECENT ARTISTIC INNOVATION, BUT IT DOES LOOK GOOD.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PAGES 102 THRU 105 IN "SHIELDS Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania" by Prestel. from the collections of the Barbier- Mueller Museum. it is a good book on shields.

1st October 2008, 03:59 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	NICE SHIELDS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THESE ARE USUALLY MADE FROM HIPPO OR BUFFALOW HIDE IN THE SOUTHERN, CENTRAL REGION OF ETHIOPIA. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON FOR THE LARGE BUMP DESIGNS BUT THEY ARE TYPICAL FOR THIS TYPE OF SHIELD. THE ONE I HAVE AS WELL AS OTHERS I HAVE SEEN ARE LARGE, THICK AND HEAVY AND WOULD OFFER GOOD PROTECTION FROM EDGED WEAPONS. SOME HAVE A FLAT EDGE AND OTHERS HAVE A ROLLED EDGE TO BETTER RESIST A CUT TO THE SHIELD EDGE. THE EXAMPLE I HAVE WAS COLLECTED IN ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA. I HAD NOT SEEN THE METAL DESIGNS ON THE OLD EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST SO THAT MAY BE A MORE RECENT ARTISTIC INNOVATION, BUT IT DOES LOOK GOOD. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PAGES 102 THRU 105 IN "SHIELDS Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania" by Prestel. from the collections of the Barbier- Mueller Museum. it is a good book on shields.