• South Sudan

• Leather, wood

• Early 20th century

• 17 x 11 in. / 43 x 28 cm

This traditional shield is known as upwal is made from stretched hide with a vertical support pole that doubles as a handle. In later years, these shields were made of metal, which was considered lighter and safer. The criminalization of killing animals along with a ban on inter-clan warfare stopped the manufacture of leather and metal shields many years ago (Barbier, Boyer, Benitez-Johannot, Shields: Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, 2000).

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