Vintage Maasai Shields ?

[Araña_del_Sol]

Hi drac2k,

These shields could most definitely be from the Maasai people, here is a vintage photo of a warrior and a few shields from the British Museum

Maasai warrior: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collec...ct/EA_Af-B14-2
Shield 1: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collec...t/E_Af1904-233
Shield 2: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collec.../E_Af1944-05-5
Shield 3: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collec..._Af1936-0104-4

That being said, much of the material culture commonly attributed to the Maasai is also found among several neighboring people groups in Kenya and Tanzania including the Samburu, Kikuyu, Nyamwezi, Arusha, etc. Thus, either the undecorated and/or the decorated shield could come from a neighboring ethnic group.

- ADS