Rare shield
D. R. Congo, Mongo
sold
EUR 900
Size
H: 164,5 cm
B: 42 cm
H: 64.8 inch
B: 16.5 inch
Description
wood, blackish brown patina, two parallel ridges running vertically through the centre, carved handle, slightly dam., abrasion of paint;
the Mongo mainly made basketry shields with characteristic parallel stiffening rods that run alongside the midrib. The wooden shield seems to imitate that style. Dieter Plaschke and Manfred Zirngibl note that early collectors may have rejected these unpainted wooden shields in favour of the woven ones. This could partly explain why there are not many Mongo wooden shields in European collections.