Large battle shield "kor"
Nigeria / Cameroon, Mambila
sold
EUR 750
Provenance
Werner Kißling (1952-2020), Heltersberg, GermanySize
H: 126 cm
B: 108 cm
H: 49.6 inch
B: 42.5 inch
Description
palm fibre basketry, wood,
Mambila shields had been collected during the 19th century by German and English administrators, travellers and missionaries, traded with other groups, or taken as war trophies by neighbours.
David Zeitlyn, Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent at Canterbury, notes that their use continues today in “ngwuun” war dances. In some Cameroon Mambila villages, he says, this dance is closely related to the investiture of chiefs and is perfomed when the chief restates his oath of office and swears not to abuse his position" (quoted from Barbier & Benitez-Johannot, 2000, p. 40).