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From Africa to Quai Branly: Histories of the Collections

Shield

Zulu
South Africa
Second half of the 19th century
Wood, animal hide
Gift of Amélie Bel
Paris, Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
Inv. 71.1930.41.101

musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, photo Pauline Guyon

Oval cowhide shields, such as this one, are part of the traditional equipment of the Nguni people, a southern-African population that includes the Zulu people. The Zulus were known for their skill in close combat. They used the shield not only as protection, but also to knock their adversaries over before attacking them with daggers or spears. Since the end of the war between the British Empire and the Zulu kingdom in 1879, such shields have only been used in ceremonial or symbolic situations.

From the late 19th to early 20th century, many travellers bought these objects when the opportunity arose, more out of curiosity than in a spirit of scientific investigation. This approach to acquisition clearly illustrates how collections were formed at that time. Amélie Bel, a French painter, is a prime example of this. For many years, she travelled the world accompanying her husband, who was a mining engineer. She probably bought this shield sometime between 1890 and 1892, while her husband was scouting out mining prospects in the Transvaal region of South Africa. Later, in 1930, she donated the shield to the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro.

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