assegai, mask and shield for comment

scotchleaf · 1st October 2010, 03:35 AM

What do you think?

The shield is perhaps a toy, only being about 3-4 ft long.

Lew · 1st October 2010, 05:35 PM

The spear is circa 1930-50 the binding seems to be some type of plant fiber. I believe the older types had leather coverings or braided wire wraps. Still a nice example

Lew

laEspadaAncha · 1st October 2010, 06:02 PM

I think the mask is Songye (from the Congo in central Africa).

scotchleaf · 1st October 2010, 06:38 PM

Thanks

VANDOO · 1st October 2010, 06:51 PM

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT ZULU SHIELDS WERE ALWAYS MADE OF COW HIDE. I DON'T KNOW WHY AS MANY OTHER TYPES OF HIDE WERE AVAILABLE. PERHAPS THE ZULU ATTACHED SOME IMPORTANCE TO THE COW MUCH AS THE MASSAI DO

IT WAS SAID THE EARLIER SHIELDS WERE ONE OR TWO SHIELDS MADE FROM EACH COW AND LATER SHIELDS THERE MIGHT BE FOUR MADE PER COW. PERHAPS BECAUSE OF A COW SHORTAGE OR EXPENSE

PERHAPS A ZULU SHIELD EXPERT WILL COME FORTH AND SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE MATTER

THE SPEAR HAS A GOOD PROPER LONG BLADE AND THE FLARED BUTT GOOD ZULU SPEARS USUALLY HAVE SO THE FORM IS GOOD REGARDLESS OF THE AGE AND LACK OF WIRE WORK.

Ron Anderson · 2nd October 2010, 01:31 PM

In Zulu society, even today, wealth and power is measured and determined by how many cattle you have.

Marriage is determined by a cattle dowry (it's called lebola).

So cattle are the cornerstone of Zulu life.

Certainly, there are other hides - from hippo to crocodile, the list is endless.So you're right - there are plenty of logical alternatives.

I'm not entirely sure what a cowhide shield signifies but it would make sense if it conveyed wealth or status of some kind. I believe, like everything else in Zulu tradition, that it stems back to Shaka. My feeling is it might have had something to do with the fact that cowhide shields conveyed the wealth and power of the Chieftan controlling those troops, rather than the actual bearers of the shields. After all, those would have been provided by the king or chief. So they would show that he had wealth at his disposal. It's a kind of conspicuous consumption, if you like.

scotchleaf · 2nd October 2010, 05:29 PM

The story I was told about the stripes on the shield is that they were intended to catch the claw of a lion.

1st October 2010, 03:35 AM	#1
scotchleaf Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 21	assegai, mask and shield for comment What do you think? The shield is perhaps a toy, only being about 3-4 ft long.

1st October 2010, 05:35 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	The spear is circa 1930-50 the binding seems to be some type of plant fiber. I believe the older types had leather coverings or braided wire wraps. Still a nice example Lew

1st October 2010, 06:02 PM	#3
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	I think the mask is Songye (from the Congo in central Africa).

1st October 2010, 06:38 PM	#4
scotchleaf Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 21	Thanks

1st October 2010, 06:51 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I READ SOMEWHERE THAT ZULU SHIELDS WERE ALWAYS MADE OF COW HIDE. I DON'T KNOW WHY AS MANY OTHER TYPES OF HIDE WERE AVAILABLE. PERHAPS THE ZULU ATTACHED SOME IMPORTANCE TO THE COW MUCH AS THE MASSAI DO IT WAS SAID THE EARLIER SHIELDS WERE ONE OR TWO SHIELDS MADE FROM EACH COW AND LATER SHIELDS THERE MIGHT BE FOUR MADE PER COW. PERHAPS BECAUSE OF A COW SHORTAGE OR EXPENSE PERHAPS A ZULU SHIELD EXPERT WILL COME FORTH AND SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE MATTER THE SPEAR HAS A GOOD PROPER LONG BLADE AND THE FLARED BUTT GOOD ZULU SPEARS USUALLY HAVE SO THE FORM IS GOOD REGARDLESS OF THE AGE AND LACK OF WIRE WORK.

2nd October 2010, 01:31 PM	#6
Ron Anderson Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 228	In Zulu society, even today, wealth and power is measured and determined by how many cattle you have. Marriage is determined by a cattle dowry (it's called lebola). So cattle are the cornerstone of Zulu life. Certainly, there are other hides - from hippo to crocodile, the list is endless.So you're right - there are plenty of logical alternatives. I'm not entirely sure what a cowhide shield signifies but it would make sense if it conveyed wealth or status of some kind. I believe, like everything else in Zulu tradition, that it stems back to Shaka. My feeling is it might have had something to do with the fact that cowhide shields conveyed the wealth and power of the Chieftan controlling those troops, rather than the actual bearers of the shields. After all, those would have been provided by the king or chief. So they would show that he had wealth at his disposal. It's a kind of conspicuous consumption, if you like.

2nd October 2010, 05:29 PM	#7
scotchleaf Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 21	The story I was told about the stripes on the shield is that they were intended to catch the claw of a lion.