Ethiopian Silver and Hide Shield

Ethiopia

Circa 1900

Hide and silver

Diameter: 16 in (40.6 cm)

Provenance: London trade

This circular shield is constructed on a hide base with applied silver elements covering the front face in a dense radial composition — trefoil and teardrop-shaped plaques with engraved interlace and geometric patterning, a raised central boss flanked by four oval silver drops, and an alternating silver and hide segmented border at the rim. Ethiopian ceremonial shields of this type were associated with warrior identity and courtly display, where the quality and density of the silverwork indicated the rank and standing of the owner. The engraved surface decoration draws on an ornamental vocabulary with deep roots in Ethiopian metalworking and manuscript illumination traditions.

The overall construction and density of applied silver give the shield a strong formal presence as both a functional object and a display of craft. The London trade provenance is consistent with the history of Ethiopian material entering European collections during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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