Shield ·  Tanzania, Kerewe · ID: 3037099

Description

light wood (ambatch tree), bright patina with faint remains of black paint, cut out of a board, flat at the bottom and slightly rounded on top, carved with triangular motifs in flat relief, loop of plant fibre for carrying now missing, slightly dam., traces of old age and weathering;
very old and very rare form of shields !
The Kerewe mainly live on Ukerewe, which is the largest island in the southeast section of Lake Victoria. The production and use of this lightweight wood shield, according to Plaschke/Zirngibl, probably ended in the first decades of the 20th century. Travellers to these islands in Lake Victoria reported around 1940 that they were hardly any longer to be found.

The object Shield with the object ID 3037099 was last part of the auction 77th tribal art auction at June 28, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 551 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,500.

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.78 f.