Round shield "tafa" · Ethiopia, Amhara · ID: 3043959
not available anymore
Size
D: 49 cm
D: 19.3 inch
Description
leather, silver mountings, base
The carrying of weapons was the pride of every self-respecting Amhara. These shields were not only implements of war, but in the course of time were transformed into purely decorative objects of imperial dignitaries.
They were even used back in the time of Emperor Menelik II (1889 - 1913) as valuable presents for the visitors of high rank or for the heads of state.
Comparing literature
Zirngibl, Manfred A. & Dieter Plaschke, Afrikanische Schilde, München 1992, p. 71, ill. 61
Publications
AHDRC: 0153794