African (Nubian ?) shield

LJ · 6th August 2018, 04:13 PM

I'm a bit confused with the word "Fundj". Is this the same as "Funj", i.e. the empire of Dar Funj, which ended in 1821 (if Wikipedia is to be believed !)

Does the use of the word suggest that the shields were used in the large area covered by the empire, which seems to have covered most of the northern part of Sudan ?

I've looked at the Pitt Rivers Southern Sudan resource, which doesn't list a people called Fundj. Also, I've looked at the British Museum collection database, where there are shields of this shape made of black hide and catalogued as being from Nubia. The Dar Funj would have extended as far north as Nubia, but surely very few of these shields would be in Western hands before the Mahdist period.

I have seen a shield similar to this one (in a private collection). It also has a crocodile skin boss ... which makes me wonder if that feature gives us a clue as to a more precise place of origin?

6th August 2018, 04:13 PM	#4
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	I'm a bit confused with the word "Fundj". Is this the same as "Funj", i.e. the empire of Dar Funj, which ended in 1821 (if Wikipedia is to be believed !) Does the use of the word suggest that the shields were used in the large area covered by the empire, which seems to have covered most of the northern part of Sudan ? I've looked at the Pitt Rivers Southern Sudan resource, which doesn't list a people called Fundj. Also, I've looked at the British Museum collection database, where there are shields of this shape made of black hide and catalogued as being from Nubia. The Dar Funj would have extended as far north as Nubia, but surely very few of these shields would be in Western hands before the Mahdist period. I have seen a shield similar to this one (in a private collection). It also has a crocodile skin boss ... which makes me wonder if that feature gives us a clue as to a more precise place of origin?