Shield

ClassificationsArms and Armor-shields

Culture Amarro

Date20th Century

Made AtEthiopia, Africa

MediumHide

Dimensions27 × 26 × 6 in. (68.6 × 66 × 15.2 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Danny and Anne Shih

Object number2014.15.7

DescriptionThis shield was made by the Amarro peoples sometime in the 20th century. Shields such as this are typical of the Amarro people of the southwestern area of Ethiopia. The protruding midrib seen at the top center of the shield and the embossed round designs that lay parallel to it are typical of this culture’s shields. In order to make these shields, hide, often from the hippopotamus, needed to be cut and mounted on a concave surface that was embedded with stones. The hide was pounded, stretched and oiled before being left to dry. The curled rim, as seen on this object, served as reinforcement for the shield. In addition, the four knots on the front of the shield acted as securing knots for the hand grips on the backside. Scholarship suggests that the Amarro did not make their shields, but rather traded food with peoples in the Lake Abaya area in order to acquire them.

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