Shield

Date20th century

Label TextThe Dinka were nicknamed "the people of the pole" due to their marked preference for fighting with poles and clubs, not spears and arrows. Behind the central swelling of this shaft is a hand-hold that enabled the owner to fend against attacks. Within their culture, such slender weapons were used to spar with each other. However, in armed conflicts with neighbors, larger leather shields had to be employed. Today, this elegant shaft is a reminder of a way of life now torn apart by a devastating civil war.

Object number2003.100

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Untold Story, November 14, 2003 - November 14, 2004 Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, SAM at 75: Building a Collection for Seattle, May 5, 2007 - September 9, 2007Published ReferencesMcClusky, Pamela, The Art of War, A Community of Collectors, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 2008, p. 141, illus. 120.

Credit LineGift of Mark Groudine and Cynthia Putnam, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

Dimensions4 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 65in. (11.4 x 9.5 x 165.1cm)

MediumWood