Central African Democratic Republic of Congo Mongo Saka Peoples Long Oval Wickerworked Shield

Period: 1850-1900

Origin: Congo, Angola / Democratic Republic of Congo

Medium: Rattan, Wood, fibre

Dimension: 143 x 24.5 cm (56¹/₄ x 9⁵/₈ inches)

Provenance: Ex Belgian collection

Literature: On no other continent in the world is there a wider spectrum of shield types than Africa. The craftsmanship of the individual tribes and the local availability of plants and animals played a decisive role in the development of individual shield types. Wicker shields came from the areas of tropical rainforest. The Saka people are one of the sixty sub-tribes of the Mongo who constitute the most important Bantu group. Amongst them are a large number of pygmy groups. Living in the rainforest, the Mongo peoples all make and use shields constructed from two layers of wicker put one on top of each other and then stabilised with a braided reed or cane rim.