Ethiopian Buffalo Hide Shield
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| Shield from the Sidamo people of Ethiopia East Africa |
A Transcendent Name
How do you define protection? If you believe in deterrence, then protection might be defined as owning an atom bomb, gun, or any other weapon of reprisal greater than your foes. Maybe you consider protection to be a more defensive, weaponless concept. Medieval knights wore armor whereas soldiers of the future might wear invisibility suits. Yet, if you define protection as, “something able to prevent suffering from harm or injury,” then arguably no other object has had a greater impact throughout human history than the shield. In fact, the word ‘shield’ has transcended the definition of an object to define the concept of protection altogether.
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| This shield is crafted in buffalo hide and was used in the 19th C. |
This week’s New Arrival features a shield from the Sidamo people of Ethiopia, East Africa. Crafted from water buffalo hide, it was soaked in water, stretched over a wood form and then dried to become as hard as a turtle’s shell. In 1896, this piece witnessed the cruelty of combat in the battle of Adwa fought between Ethiopia and Italy. Although the Italians had superior weapons the Ethiopians prevailed, proving deterrence doesn’t always work. Over time this shield was retired as humans found more ingenious ways to defend themselves. Yet, it went on to symbolize the almost limitless number of ways the concept of protection must be exercised.
Related blog: The Best Offense is a Good Defense
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