War shield
Description
wood, white and black pigment, red and yellow ochre, raised middle ridge, painted with six ancestor spirit heads, plant fibre tassels along rim and through pierced septum (partly missing or brittle), projection with three drilled holes on upper rim, vertical ridges for attachment of plant fibre handle backside, traces of insect caused damage (above all backside and in the rim area, nose of one of the ancestor spirits), min. dam. and traces of moisture (lower rim/backside);
shields are used in battle as physical protection against arrows and spears but their greatest power and threatening quality comes through the ancestors symbolized on the shields. The dead person after which a shield is named bestows onto the carrier the strength, the courage and the will to fight. The enemy will be so intimidated by the sight of the shield and will be so startled that his only chance of escape will be through flight. At the time when shields were still in use, a village felt powerful when it possessed a large number of shields.