Rain Priest's Shield
Dinka / Luo, South Sudan
Crocodile skin, wood
19th century

This shield was the prerogative of a rain priest, common in the Dinka and Luo societies, who fulfilled a number of roles including leading migrations, ensuring rain, and assuring invulnerability. 

An important, related shield is in the collection of the Museum of Natural History (Venice), and was collected by Giovanni Miani in the 19th century. Autodidact, musicologist, poet, patriot, and exile, Giovanni Miani adopted Venice as his native city and sought fame in his African explorations. In 1859 he organized an expedition in search of the sources of the Nile which, in 1860, after various vicissitudes, took him further up the river than any other European had ever been. His crocodile rain priest shield is one of 1,800 finds he collected during his first expedition, almost all of which he then donated to the city of Venice (Natural History Museum of Venice Giancarlo Ligabue, n.d. link).

37.5 in :: 95 cm

InventoryID #13-1896

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