Round shield "tafa" · Ethiopia, Amhara · ID: 3043959
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.
The object Round shield “tafa” with the object ID 3043959 was last part of the auction 89th Tribal Art Auction at July 7, 2018 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 487.
You can find more Shields and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Zirngibl, Manfred A. & Dieter Plaschke, Afrikanische Schilde, München 1992, p. 71, ill. 61
Publications
AHDRC: 0153794