Shield

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Culture Kominimung

Title Shield

Date 20th century

Medium Wood, fiber, and and pigment

Dimensions Object: 51 × 24 3/16 × 4 in. (129.5 × 61.4 × 10.2 cm)
Overall: 51 × 24 3/16 × 4 in. (129.5 × 61.4 × 10.2 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 77.59

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About this Work

A large amount of the lower portion of this shield is covered in braided fiber, an element that was believed to help protect the user during battle. Just above the braided fiber is a depiction of an important ancestor in a raised triangular area. Typical of Kominimung shields, this area is surrounded by colors and motifs that represent totemic animals and other symbols related to the clan of the shield’s owner. These bright colors and prominent motifs would have allowed others during battle to easily identify the clan of the warrior.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this Page
"Shield | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=77.59