Ceremonial Shield

Origin: Kembatta Tribe, Ethiopia
Composition: leather (hippopotamus, buffalo, or rhinocerous), wood, cotton
Age: Early 20th Century

This is a small rounded Ethiopian shield that could be attributed to a number of Ethiopian groups such as the Kembatta, Arussi, Oromo, Amhara, Sidamo, Gurage, Hadiya, or Wolayta. Historically, special craftsmen (known as chawa, awada, or faki) would manufacture these objects after acquiring the hides from the hunters and potters (known as wata or awada) who lived on the shores of Lake Zwai and subsisted mainly on hunting hippopotamus.

In many Ethiopian cultures, objects like this were visual symbols of a powerful defensive weapon, yet were also displayed as emblems of status or rank and also as accessories of dance during festival or commemorative ceremonies or after a victory. This smaller piece would have been reserved for the latter—a ceremonial symbol or power and prestige (Ref: Benitez & Barbier: "Shields: Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania"; Visona, "A History of Art in Africa").

Please contact us to inquire about this piece at (415) 362-6601 or info@sujaro.com.