Mambila Shield, Wall Mounted

A curved glossy sheet with a long sheen and a small slot at the center

This shield, wall mounted is Mambila, from Cameroon, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Maasai shields, made of buffalo hide stretched over a wooden frame, use paint to signal status, with red generally marking a senior warrior and black, white and gray used by younger men. The edges are uneven and have a couple of fine splits. A few dots mark the surface. It is 27.5 inches wide and 33.5 high.

Smooth, curved and one small hole short of mysterious.