shield
- Museum number
- Af1954,03.1
- Description
-
Large oval shield of oxhide, black with two white patches, and with a white strip inserted through two bands of pierced openings running down the centre of the shield to give it more strength. A long, carved wooden shaft/handle runs the length of the shield on the reverse, protruding at the bottom to act as a rest and at the top shaped to take a pompom of fur (missing).
- Production date
- 1879 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 149 centimetres
-
Width: 115 centimetres (shield only)
-
Depth: 5 centimetres
-
Depth: 64.50 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- See: Giblin, J., & Spring, C., ‘South Africa the art of a nation’ , London, Thames and Hudson, 2016, pp 106-7.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2016-2017 27 Oct-26 Feb, London, BM, G35, South Africa: the art of a nation
- Condition
- Good
- Acquisition date
- 1954
- Acquisition notes
- Af1954,03.1 to 5 were given by T C R Anstey. The register records that "the spears [were] collected after the battle of ISANDHLWANA, 1879, by the donor's father, whose brother (of the 1st batallion, 24th Foot, now South Wales Borderers) was killed by the spears. The other things may come from the Kraal of Cetewayo after the batlle of Ulundi, which ended the war [in 1879]. See correspondence."
NB The associated items Af1954,03.6 to 12 were not recorded in the Acquisition Register.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1954,03.1