Dimensions: H:20.5" W:20.5" L:2.4" Weight: 9.5 lbs.
Bamileke Oval shaped shield from Cameroon Grasslands - The Bamileke people of the Cameroon Grasslands handcrafted this oval highly wrought wooden shield. This shield is used in traditional rites and customs. Each piece is hand carved, painted, and stained, so each sculpture is one-of-a-kind.
About the Tribe
The Cameroon-Bamileke Bantu people cluster encompasses multiple Bantu ethnic groups primarily found in Cameroon, the largest of which is the Bamileke. Between the 11th and 14th centuries, they moved to what is now northern Cameroon. They moved further south and west in the 17th century to avoid being forced to convert to Islam by the Fulani tribe. They live in a hilly and mountainous area in south-west Cameroon known as "The Grassland," which is bordered on the south by an equatorial forest and on the north by a savannah.