Description:

A LEATHER BATTLE SHIELD ''WANDALAM''
Africa, Cameroon North, Mandara Mountains, Kirdi
H. 93 cm
Battle shield of the Kirdi or Fali from the Cameroonian highlands. Pigmented leather. The shield has the shape of a bell or a pointed bow with a flat base. It is made of boiled buffalo leather and has a double strap integrated into the back. The curved front is decorated with geometric ribbing; the central area (‘shield boss’) is flat and convex. The main decorative pattern forms an eight-pointed star consisting of three bars in each of the rays. The indentations are accentuated with light red (iron oxide). The area in between is made up of darker-coloured bars that form concentric arcs that follow the shape and are interrupted by the rays of the star. The reverse shows the bar pattern in negative. The profiling is not only beautiful, but also technically reinforces the shield considerably. The Fali and Mofu, who are neighbours of the Kirdi, use similar shields, so it is not possible to assign them with certainty. The shields are typologically ancient, as rock paintings prove. The older shields (like this one) are made of thick, hardened leather, which has very good protective properties and can allegedly even stop musket balls (from muzzle-loaders). Shields made of iron are a later development. The Kirdi, Fali and Mofu have retained the ‘bell shape’ of their earlier leather shields in their iron shields. The Kirdi are also known for their expressive clay sculptures and their round huts with pointed conical roofs made of reed, whose walls are covered with clay and which are built in tightly packed villages. A number of smaller Chad-speaking ethnic groups in northern Cameroon are referred to as Kirdi. These include the Kirdi, Kapsiki, Tupuri, Fali, Daba, Mofu, Mafa, Mandara, Guiziga, Musgum, Mundang and Massa. It is assumed that these groups fled to the Mandara Mountains and the Toupouri swamps to escape persecution by the Muslim Fulbe groups; however, there is also evidence that they have inhabited this area for a longer period of time. In contrast to the neighbouring Muslim societies, they are influenced by traditional African religions. Kirdi is a term for unbelievers (Kāfir) that probably originates from the Fulfulde (Fulbe). With more than 1.9 million people, they make up around eleven per cent of the Cameroonian population. Most Kirdi are cattle breeders or farmers.
From an old German private collection, acquired in the 1980s - Minor traces of age

Schild ''wandalam ''aus Leder
Afrika, Kamerun Nord-, Mandara-Gebirge, Kirdi
H. 93 cm
Kampfschild der Kirdi oder Fali aus dem kamerunischen Hochland. Pigmentiertes Leder. Der Schild hat die Form einer Glocke oder eines Spitzbogens mit flacher Basis. Er besteht aus gekochtem Büffelleder und hat in der Rückseite integriert eine doppelte Halteschlaufe. Die gewölbte Vorderseite ist mit geometrischer Rippenzier versehen; der zentrale Bereich („Schildbuckel“) ist flach-konvex. Das Haupt-Ziermuster bildet einen achtstrahligen Stern aus, der aus jeweils drei Stegen in den Strahlen besteht. Die Vertiefungen sind mit hellem Rot (Eisenoxyd) akzentuiert. Der dazwischenliegende Bereich ist aus dunkler gefärbten Stegen gebildet, die konzentrische Bogen bilden, welche der Form folgen und durch die Strahlen des Sterns unterbrochen werden. Die Rückseite zeigt das Stegmuster im Negativ. Die Profilierung ist nicht nur schön, sondern verstärkt den Schild technisch erheblich. Die den Kirdi benachbarten Fali und Mofu benutzen ähnliche Schilde, daher ist eine sichere Zuweisung nicht möglich. Die Schilde sind typologisch uralt, wie Felszeichnungen beweisen. Die älteren Schilde (wie der vorliegende) sind aus dickem, gehärtetem Leder, das sehr gute Schutzeigenschaften aufweist und angeblich sogar Musketenkugeln (aus Vorderladern) aufhalten kann. Schilde aus Eisen sind eine spätere Entwicklung. Die "Glocken-Form" ihrer früheren Leder-Schilde haben die Kirdi, Fali oder Mofu auch in i

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do not offer inhouse packing and shipping services.

We are pleased to provide you with the following list of transport companies, which we can recommend based on many years of good experience and a longstanding cooperation. We kindly ask you to contact the companies directly to negotiate the terms of costs, insurance and the organization of the transport.

Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


Eric Art Services
Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong
+86 10 8880 3001 (BJ)
+86 21 3103 2707 (SH)
+852 2204 1888 (HK)
[email protected]


Mailboxes etc. / MBE
Silke Klink & Marco Bittner
Friedrich-List-Str. 8
70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen
+49 (0) 711 / 41170270
[email protected]


Matthias Fegers
Service for art and trade
Moldenweg 5
21339 Lüneburg
49 (0) 4131 / 727525
[email protected]


MuseumsPartner Kunstspedition GmbH
Pass-Thurn-Straße 25
6372 Oberndorf bei Kitzbühel
+43 5356 6950
[email protected]


A.V.M. Service and Transport
Alexander von Mertens
Römerstraße 32
70180 Stuttgart
+49 (0) 172 / 71 36 254
[email protected]

December 9, 2024 9:30 AM CET
Stuttgart, Germany

Nagel Auction

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 32.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
0 € 19 € 5 €
20 € 179 € 10 €
180 € 299 € 20 €
300 € 359 € 30 €
360 € 399 € 40 €
400 € 899 € 50 €
900 € 999 € 100 €
1.000 € 1.999 € 100 €
2.000 € 2.999 € 200 €
3.000 € 3.599 € 300 €
3.600 € 3.999 € 400 €
4.000 € 9.999 € 500 €
10.000 € 19.999 € 1.000 €
20.000 € 29.999 € 2.000 €
30.000 € 35.999 € 3.000 €
36.000 € 39.999 € 4.000 €
40.000 € 99.999 € 5.000 €
100.000 € 199.999 € 10.000 €
200.000 € + 20.000 €