Woven Basketry Shield with Iron Disc
Bandia / Nsakara, D.R. Congo
Wood, rattan, pigment, iron
Late 19th / early 20th century

The Bandia, the Zande of the Sultanate of Djabbir, the Nsakara, the Bati, the Benge, and the Mbudjaare were both the producers and the users of this type of shield. They are small shields that carry elaborate handle boards. The iron discoid attachment that protects the center of the shield and handle originated among the Ngbandi, who called it Ngbengbe (Baur & Elsen, Guba: Wicker Shields from the Congo Basin, 2002). 

InventoryID #13-2226

SOLD