Ethiopian Shield-Form Ornamental Disc

Honey-gold and lopsided, with a woven-looking surface and a beaded rim.

This shield-form ornamental brass disc is from Omo Valley, Ethiopia, East Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Peoples of the Omo Valley in southwestern Ethiopia are widely known for body adornment, and metal ornaments often help express age, status and community. Irregular, oval-leaning plate with a single pointed boss near the center. Three holes cluster at the left edge and two more on the right. Fine, crosshatched texture covers the face, and a ring of small punched dots follows the rim. It is 0.3 inches deep and 4.3 in diameter.

Handmade enough that the outline wanders off at will.