100% of the Buyer's Premium of all lots sold in this auction will be donated to Community Food Share by Artemis Gallery. $1.00 = 3 meals!

**First Time At Auction**

Africa, Kenya or Tanzania, Masai people, late 19th to early 20th century CE. A striking shield, of an elegant elliptical form, skillfully made from dried and tanned cattle/buffalo hide stretched over a wooden frame and decorated with organic pigments of red, brown, and black hues. The decorative program is comprised of symmetrical crescent forms to either side of a vertical band composed of diamond and triangular motifs; one crescent is bordered by four bands of repeated triangles, and a star-like motif adorns the other crescent. All is surrounded by a border wrapped with natural fiber. The designs that adorn shields like this example are called sirata and represent the different subgroups of the culture. Interestingly, in the not-too-distant past, Masai warriors were asked to kill a lion using only a shield like this and a spear before they could claim their manhood, be called a true warrior, and be allowed to marry. Size: 27.125" W x 37.5" H (68.9 cm x 95.2 cm)

See a similar shield in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession number 1978.412.644) . The Met's description states, "Pastoralist Maasai from the grasslands of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania used such shields in warfare, hunting, and rites of passage. A buffalo hide sewn onto a wooden frame is the convex elliptical canvas onto which an artist traced rich polychrome geometric patterns: two large crescents symmetrically positioned on either side of a central vertical band composed of alternating triangles. The motifs identified the owner's position within a complex lineage system. Called sirata, many of these symbolic motifs have fallen into disuse and are poorly understood by contemporary Maasai."

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#148917

Stabilization to a few small fissures on obverse area in front of handle. Bending and warping to hide body and some peripheral bindings, with abrasions and fading to pigment, expected desiccation to hide commensurate with age and environmental conditions, loss to some hairs on dangling hide panel, and splintering to some wooden frame bars. Great preservation to overall form and original pigment.

“To eliminate hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties through engagement, collaboration, and leadership…”
Community Food Share is a Feeding America food bank serving those in need with access to fresh, nutritious food and nutrition education, with a special emphasis on children, seniors, and other populations of greatest need.