ETHIOPIAN SHIELD 8

This Ethiopian shield is made from a very thick, tough leather, said to be hippopotamus hide. It was stretched and hammered over an elaborate wood form, dried and removed. The handle is fastened on with leather strips. It has been custom mounted on a 14" x 14" iron base.

This wonderful shield, in good condition, has extremely fine and intricate embossing on the front surface. There are several small repairs around the edge. The most obvious is a repair on the bottom (see front and back views plus details). One repair, on the bottom right, was carefully stitched with leather.  An unusual feature is that in several areas there is a beautiful red color showing through the black surface (see below).