Ethiopian oromo shield

chiefheadknocker · 13th December 2019, 05:49 PM

This shield i picked up the other day , oromo tribe i believe , its very heavy thick hide , maybe hippo ? i guess its 19th century ,difficult to date , im note sure if these were ever made for tourist trade ? whats your thoughts

thinreadline · 13th December 2019, 07:24 PM

I like this very much !

TVV · 14th December 2019, 01:06 AM

Very nice shield, and there is not much to add to what you wrote. I doubt there was a vibrant tourist sector in Southern Ethiopia in the 19th century, and to me this looks like intended for actual use, even if just ritual.

Kubur · 14th December 2019, 08:33 AM

Beautifull and as said previously, it could be end of 19th or early 20th c. African like yemeni objects are difficult to date precisely.
I like the old repair, probably done by a spear and repaired later, definitively not tourist

Martin Lubojacky · 14th December 2019, 08:56 AM

This one is real. There is "new"/later handle fastening.
Currently they started to produce also imitations for tourists, but this is not the case.

You can find old photos here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...040#post240040

Martin Lubojacky · 14th December 2019, 12:08 PM

Now I think they were (also) used by various peoples from Sidama and Arusi regions, maybe up to Bale Mountains ..., also allegedly Wolayta people and others (but now round, more classic shield is attributed on internet to Wolayta...). So "Oromo" is probably "not too much exact".

There were various modifications of this kind of shield from heavy, nearly round to smaller of more oval shape (for horseman ?), with rolled up rim or normal, with carved ornamentation to the skin or smooth ...

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 14th December 2019, 09:08 PM

it appears and is described on various references as hippo hide..

please see https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108367...59740/?lp=true

and at https://www.hamillgallery.com/ETHIOP...nShield08.html

~ where shades of red colouring were added apparently on the front surface which were intricately decorated being hammered over a wood former .

Martin Lubojacky · 15th December 2019, 06:21 PM

The red colour was allegedly added when the owner of the shield killed an enemy or a dangerous animal (also on "Amaro/Ometo" shields)

13th December 2019, 05:49 PM	#1
chiefheadknocker Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 143	Ethiopian oromo shield This shield i picked up the other day , oromo tribe i believe , its very heavy thick hide , maybe hippo ? i guess its 19th century ,difficult to date , im note sure if these were ever made for tourist trade ? whats your thoughts Attached Images

13th December 2019, 07:24 PM	#2
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	I like this very much !

14th December 2019, 01:06 AM	#3
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,725	Very nice shield, and there is not much to add to what you wrote. I doubt there was a vibrant tourist sector in Southern Ethiopia in the 19th century, and to me this looks like intended for actual use, even if just ritual.

14th December 2019, 08:33 AM	#4
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Beautifull and as said previously, it could be end of 19th or early 20th c. African like yemeni objects are difficult to date precisely. I like the old repair, probably done by a spear and repaired later, definitively not tourist

14th December 2019, 08:56 AM	#5
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 845	This one is real. There is "new"/later handle fastening. Currently they started to produce also imitations for tourists, but this is not the case. You can find old photos here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...040#post240040

14th December 2019, 12:08 PM	#6
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 845	Now I think they were (also) used by various peoples from Sidama and Arusi regions, maybe up to Bale Mountains ..., also allegedly Wolayta people and others (but now round, more classic shield is attributed on internet to Wolayta...). So "Oromo" is probably "not too much exact". There were various modifications of this kind of shield from heavy, nearly round to smaller of more oval shape (for horseman ?), with rolled up rim or normal, with carved ornamentation to the skin or smooth ...

14th December 2019, 09:08 PM	#7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	it appears and is described on various references as hippo hide.. please see https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108367...59740/?lp=true and at https://www.hamillgallery.com/ETHIOP...nShield08.html ~ where shades of red colouring were added apparently on the front surface which were intricately decorated being hammered over a wood former .

15th December 2019, 06:21 PM	#8
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 845	The red colour was allegedly added when the owner of the shield killed an enemy or a dangerous animal (also on "Amaro/Ometo" shields)