Tutsi Rattan Shield, Rwanda

A notched oval panel with a central seam and a surface of tiny scratched lines

This shield is Tutsi, from Rwanda, East Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven rattan. Shields often served as identification, because most peoples had distinct designs and shapes that friend and foe could recognize from far away, much as flags do, and some patterns indicated rank. A broad oval form, flat across the top with a shallow notch, a raised central strip, and lower edge corners dipping into feet. The surface is a dark reddish brown covered in fine fiber-like lines. It is 36 inches wide and 42 high.

Cleanly shaped, finely textured, and happily not decorated.