Oromo shield, Ethiopia Leather, brass End of... Lot 6

Oromo shield, Ethiopia Leather, brass End of the 19th century D. 24 cm Provenance : Stefan Domoney Ancient Arts, London French private collection Shield inscribed on a circular base, from which a central protuberance emerges, giving it a conical shape, magnified by a succession of concentric circles decorating the surface, on which are fixed two emblems in the form of four-pointed brass stars. The formal origin of this type of shield remains uncertain. For some researchers, such as Dieter Plaschke and Manfred Zirngibl, these shields are indeed Oromo, while other theories would place their creation in Oman or Saudi Arabia. This confusion can be explained by the close relations maintained over the centuries by the Oromo and the Arabs.