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Old 21st September 2015, 05:43 PM   #27
estcrh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlesS
These mounted warriors from Kanem Bornu have always fascinated me. The Kingdom of Kanem Bornu is one of the few times in history two separate kingdoms (Kanem and Bornu) put aside their differences to unite for a cause, in this case desert raiders harassing both kingdoms. These mounted warriors essentially saved the two kingdoms from extinction.

These are some photos and drawings of such mounted warriors. The color photo shows how they are celebrated today.
Your photo and this one of Sudanese cloth armor for horse and man are quite similar, as mentioned in the caption of your photo. I have to wonder of one of the museums which own these items has made a mistake in identification.

Quote:
Quilted Sudanese armour (Jibbah), made from several pieces of brightly coloured cloth sewn together. They are stuffed with kapok, the wool-like strands that surround the seeds of the silk cotton tree, creating a heavy garment. In full battle the warhorse would also have worn mail or pieces of leather across the flanks, and headpiece of metal and cloth. These colourful horses were often used by the bodyguards for leaders. Probably used during the Battle of Omdurman, 1898. British Museum.
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Last edited by estcrh; 21st September 2015 at 09:24 PM.
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