"As highly visible emblems of power and identity,
African shields communicate important information about
the user and his place in society."

African Shields: Art, Power and Identity presents sixteen outstanding African shields that date from the 19th to 20th centuries.  The exhibition highlights both the artistry of African shields as well as the political and social significance of their use and creation.

Organized by the Newark Museum curator, Dr. Christa Clarke, African Shields: Art, Power and Identity is the first museum exhibition in the United States to focus on this important form of artistic and cultural expression.

The works in African Shields: Art, Power and Identity were created by artists from fifteen different cultures in the present-day nations of Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Madagascar.

The shields come in many sizes, shapes and materials, often determined by how they were to be used in battle.  Small, lightweight shields offered greater mobility for close combat, while large, heavy shields provided more substantial bodily protection.

African shields have acquired new functions over time. They are worn during initiation and funeral ceremonies, exchanged as a commodity, or displayed as leadership symbols. As highly visible emblems of power and identity, shields communicate important information about the user and his place in society. 

Images:

Banner: Shield (Ndome), Kenya; Kikuyu artist, Late 19th - early 20th century, Wood, pigment,

26 x 18 x 3 in., Collection of Newark Museum, Gift of Mr. William Deppermann, 1956