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Parrying shields of double antelopes' horns, India
Long narrow shields from the Asiatic Isles
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1874 catalogue entry:
67. SHIELD of Elephant's hide, with wings on the upper end. Fan
negroes, Gaboon, West Africa. The wings of this shield resemble
those of the cowhide shields of the Bassutos of South-east Africa
(Fig. 5.), the two forms are sufficiently close to denote connexion. It
is not known whether this form of shield prevails in the district
intermediate between the Gaboon and the country of the Bassutos.
This form of shield must have somewhat resembled the Greek
pelte [NB this word has been transliterated from the Greek text that
it is in the 1874 catalogue. OED has it as pelta, plural (peltae)
'a small light shield used by the ancient Greeks, Romans, etc'.
(Grk: pelte)], described by Zenophon as being of the form of an
ivy leaf, and which was borrowed from the Amazons.
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Pitt Rivers Museum record:
| General Description: Fan shield made from elephant's hide. |
| Accession number: 1884.30.32 |
| Continent: Africa Country: Gabon Group: Fang |
| Dimensions: L = 900 mm W [below wings] = 630 mm |
| Condition: Conserved |
| When collected: ?Prior to 1874 |
| Other owners: Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display by ?early 1874. |
| Notes: Black book entry - Screen 2 27 Shield, elephant's hide with wings, Fan negroes, Gaboon Delivery Catalogue II entry - Shields from different localities. Shield, elephant hide, Gaboon 67 Accession Book IV entry - Large black winged shield (inverted crescent on a square), of buffalo hide, Fan, Gaboon, WA [Drawing] Card Catalogue entry - ALF 67. 1884.30.32. West Africa, Gaboon, Fan. 67 = 27 black. Large black winged shield (inverted crescent on a square) of buffalo hide. Original Pitt Rivers collection. Printed label stuck to shield - Shield with wings of elephant hide Fan Negroes Gaboon W. Africa. The peculiar form of this shield resembles that used by the Kaffirs of the S.E. of Africa Current Display Label - [1995] Held by hand-loop at rear. Other information - Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A). Note that it is not clear from the documentation what the kind of animal the skin is from. There is still some hair left on the front of the shield. The hide handle has a plaited hide thong tied to it. PR number: 67 Displayed in Upper Gallery Shield displays at Pitt Rivers Museum. |