Subject: balambaras chief
Culture: Amharic Ethiopian
Setting: Ethiopian empire, 1868-1913
Object: tāfā / gãshã shield
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* Houston Museum of Natural Science > Lucy's Legacy
* Royal Armouries Museum > War Gallery
"Shield Ethiopian, 19th century Shields with velvet covering and silvered copper strips were presented by the Emperor to his Rases (provincial governors). The decoration on these shields showed a man's standing in society and his valour on the battlefield." ...