Sudanese small shield with spear tip ?? on eBay

katana · 26th February 2012, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indianajones

Hi all, actually the 'ebay-shield' is from a kind of swampturtle (like a seaturle) that naturally has a skin covered boneshield; the shield from Detlef's book is the top of the turtleshield and the 'ebay-shield' is the bellyside of this same type of turtle.
They do only exist in those lakes/swamps in a particular area in East- Africa (dont know the specific details).
Most shields -which by most are not reckognised as such- the attached stick n bands are removed and sold as 'decorative turtleshield' as I have seen a few (like from the book). Also'ordinary turtleshield were used as shields sometimes.
So no skin has manually been drawn over the shield or like that. Hope this clears ONE detail about the <still quite interesting!> object

Cheers Wouter

Hi Wouter,
thanks for the info.....I did consider that the shell was the plastron (lower shell) .....but for one problem. The lower shell on all turtles are either flat or concave (males usually concave to help them stay on their 'lady' during mating.) As the scales are on the outside of the shell the one used as a shield is convex. A possibility is that the shell was 'shaped' by heat ....similar to the technique to shape horn ??

Best David

VANDOO · 27th February 2012, 12:33 AM

YOU ARE CORRECT IT IS TURTLE SHELL BACK AND BELLY. WE HAVE A SPECIES OF SOFTSHELL TURTLE HERE AND I HAVE EATEN ONE AND ARTICULATED ITS BONES. THE SIZE THEY GROW TO HERE IS 6 TO 30 INCHES (15 TO 76 CM. THE FEMALES BEING MUCH LARGER. THEY LIVE IN FRESH WATER MOSTLY RIVERS HERE AND ARE THE FASTEST TURTLE ON LAND ITS UNLIKELY YOU WILL BE FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH ONE BEFORE HE GETS TO THE WATER. MOST OF THE SHELL IS SOFT AND FLEXABLE WITH BONE AT THE CENTER. THE BELLY PLATE IS MADE UP OF FOUR LARGE BONES AND FLEXABLE NO DOUBT THAT HELPS THE THING RUN SO FAST AND FLATTEN OUT AND BURY ITSELF IN THE SAND. WE HAVE THREE SPECIES HERE IN NORTH AMERICA,THEY DO HAVE THEM IN AFRICA BUT I DON'T KNOW THE SIZE OR IF ITS THE SAME SPECIES.
I THINK THERE WAS A OLD POST ON A SHIELD SIMULAR TO THE SECOND ONE USING THE BACK PLATE.

Indianajones · 27th February 2012, 04:27 PM

Hi all, yes Sajen I think this is from the same kind of turtle (name 'turtle' is for the sea variant n 'tortoise' for the landvariant, am I right?).
The shield from the book could have had a more vulnerable edge round which has been removed, as there are ribs sticking out.
The shape is natural to my opinion. Have never put any energy into looking for the exact type of turtle it is; anyone . . ?!? (will see if have time to do so in a while.
Question remains . . . . .is it really a authentic used and made by which tribe??? Am curious too (I do think so myself, but what tribe)

Sajen · 27th February 2012, 05:49 PM

Hi Wouter,

only ask because the form is different, but I am also not an expert in this field of zoology. You are correct, when it is one which living in the water it is a turtle.

Regards,

Detlef

27th February 2012, 12:33 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	YOU ARE CORRECT IT IS TURTLE SHELL BACK AND BELLY. WE HAVE A SPECIES OF SOFTSHELL TURTLE HERE AND I HAVE EATEN ONE AND ARTICULATED ITS BONES. THE SIZE THEY GROW TO HERE IS 6 TO 30 INCHES (15 TO 76 CM. THE FEMALES BEING MUCH LARGER. THEY LIVE IN FRESH WATER MOSTLY RIVERS HERE AND ARE THE FASTEST TURTLE ON LAND ITS UNLIKELY YOU WILL BE FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH ONE BEFORE HE GETS TO THE WATER. MOST OF THE SHELL IS SOFT AND FLEXABLE WITH BONE AT THE CENTER. THE BELLY PLATE IS MADE UP OF FOUR LARGE BONES AND FLEXABLE NO DOUBT THAT HELPS THE THING RUN SO FAST AND FLATTEN OUT AND BURY ITSELF IN THE SAND. WE HAVE THREE SPECIES HERE IN NORTH AMERICA,THEY DO HAVE THEM IN AFRICA BUT I DON'T KNOW THE SIZE OR IF ITS THE SAME SPECIES. I THINK THERE WAS A OLD POST ON A SHIELD SIMULAR TO THE SECOND ONE USING THE BACK PLATE. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 27th February 2012 at 02:09 AM.

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27th February 2012, 04:27 PM	#3
Indianajones Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 180	Hi all, yes Sajen I think this is from the same kind of turtle (name 'turtle' is for the sea variant n 'tortoise' for the landvariant, am I right?). The shield from the book could have had a more vulnerable edge round which has been removed, as there are ribs sticking out. The shape is natural to my opinion. Have never put any energy into looking for the exact type of turtle it is; anyone . . ?!? (will see if have time to do so in a while. Question remains . . . . .is it really a authentic used and made by which tribe??? Am curious too (I do think so myself, but what tribe)

27th February 2012, 05:49 PM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,274	Hi Wouter, only ask because the form is different, but I am also not an expert in this field of zoology. You are correct, when it is one which living in the water it is a turtle. Regards, Detlef