African (Nubian ?) shield

[colin henshaw]

Something a bit different ... this is a recent acquisition, made of heavy hide (hippo ?), with a boss of crocodile.

I think these are Sudanese and have read them described as "Nubian" somewhere. Can anyone provide more information etc ?

[Sajen]

Hi Colin,

almost, it's a Fundj shield from the upper Nile. See here: http://www.africanarms.com/alle-alben/!/oa/6643573-84170221/ (just copy the link and paste it)
Very nice shield, congrats!

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Look also to this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=796

[LJ]

I'm a bit confused with the word "Fundj". Is this the same as "Funj", i.e. the empire of Dar Funj, which ended in 1821 (if Wikipedia is to be believed !)

Does the use of the word suggest that the shields were used in the large area covered by the empire, which seems to have covered most of the northern part of Sudan ?

I've looked at the Pitt Rivers Southern Sudan resource, which doesn't list a people called Fundj. Also, I've looked at the British Museum collection database, where there are shields of this shape made of black hide and catalogued as being from Nubia. The Dar Funj would have extended as far north as Nubia, but surely very few of these shields would be in Western hands before the Mahdist period.

I have seen a shield similar to this one (in a private collection). It also has a crocodile skin boss ... which makes me wonder if that feature gives us a clue as to a more precise place of origin?

[Sajen]

Sorry, can't answer your question, just have remembered to have seen this shields before and have looked where I've seen them and have given the two links. Also when when I am interested in African arms I don't collect them and I am far away to be an expert in African arms.
Maybe Martin or Wolf-Dieter will be able to give further informations.

Regards,
Detlef

PS: I am a little bit surprised that Colin don't respond until now to his own thread!

[colin henshaw]

PS: I am a little bit surprised that Colin don't respond until now to his own thread! :shrug

"Patience is a virtue", Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

"Patience is a virtue", Detlef

Dear Colin,

I was only a little bit in sorrow!

[colin henshaw]

Many thanks to Sajen and LJ for their input on the shield. I've checked the website mentioned by Detlef that gives the "Funj" attribution, however could not see any references etc in support ? But perhaps I just didn't find them.

I am reasonably confident this type of shield was used during the Mahdist period (please see images attached), but havn't found anything else so far. Given the materials used, they probably were made by a tribe close to the Nile ?

Its a bit of a puzzle, so if any more information can be found, please do comment.

[colin henshaw]

Here are the illustrations from the British Museum database. (Thanks to LJ).

[thinreadline]

Here is a statue of Maj Gen Wm Earle who was killed at the Battle of Kirbekan in 1885 , whilst part of the Nile Expeditionary Force in the Sudan. He is clearly shown striding over one of these shields. This statue is on the plateau of St Georges Hall in Liverpool.

[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by thinreadline

Here is a statue of Maj Gen Wm Earle who was killed at the Battle of Kirbekan in 1885 , whilst part of the Nile Expeditionary Force in the Sudan. He is clearly shown striding over one of these shields. This statue is on the plateau of St Georges Hall in Liverpool.

Useful post from thinreadline. So, I think its safe to say these shields were used by the northern Sudanese riverine tribes (Nubian) in the late 19th century. Likely, many of the examples found in Europe are war trophies.

Regarding the Funj peoples, there doesn't seem to be much clear and definitive information about them on the internet. It seems they were/are one of the Nubian groups to be found between Omdurman and Wadi Halfa ??

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

Useful post from thinreadline. So, I think its safe to say these shields were used by the northern Sudanese riverine tribes (Nubian) in the late 19th century. Likely, many of the examples found in Europe are war trophies.

Regarding the Funj peoples, there doesn't seem to be much clear and definitive information about them on the internet. It seems they were/are one of the Nubian groups to be found between Omdurman and Wadi Halfa ??

Thanks Colin , that is always what I have believed . Very envious of your shield, have been after one for over 40 years ! General Earle was from Liverpool and was killed some time after the battle was over. I understand that he was mooching around a nearby village and poked his head into a hut only to be blasted by a tribesperson who was hiding within !

[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by thinreadline

Thanks Colin , that is always what I have believed . Very envious of your shield, have been after one for over 40 years ! General Earle was from Liverpool and was killed some time after the battle was over. I understand that he was mooching around a nearby village and poked his head into a hut only to be blasted by a tribesperson who was hiding within !

Glad you like it. This type of shield seems fairly scarce, I have only come across one or two for sale in the past. Looking at my example more closely ... there are down each side in the hide, four groups of four marks in a square, (see image attached), so eight groups in all. I wonder what they are for, perhaps representations of tribal markings or similar ?

Digging around, I have come up with two further images of these shields, one in the Governor's palace in Khartoum, the other in Blair Castle, Scotland.