Colonial Era Maasai Shields



CC Ancient, XL 39” x 23” beautifully crafted shield in great shape with good colors, a thick wooden frame and a raised, reinforced boss-$2499 BUY NOW

DD Ancient, XL beautifully crafted 39” x 25” shield that was kept in a climate controlled environment with beautiful colors, a thick wooden frame, a raised, reinforced boss and a talisman strap. Has two battle scars that have been repaired with stitches in the bush-$2799 SOLD

EE Ancient, XL beautifully crafted 34” x 28”shield that was kept in a climate controlled environment with beautiful colors, a thick wooden frame and raised, reinforced boss-$2499 SOLD

FF Ancient, beautifully crafted 32” x 26” shield in great shape with nice colors, stunning craftsmanship and a reinforced, raised boss-$2399
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GG Turn of the Century, XL 38” x 28” shield with original colors covered with the soot from thousands of fires. Cracked handle on back and some distortion in shape due to leather drying-$1999 BUY NOW

HH Post WW II 38”x28” shield showcasing traditional Maasai colors and nicely constructed-$1999 SOLD

II Newer 28”x20” shield showcasing traditional Maasai colors and nicely constructed-$499 BUY NOW

JJ Newer 34”x25” Post WW II shield shield with vibrant colors and a raised and reinforced boss-$1999 BUY NOW

KK Newer 31”x22” shield showcasing traditional Maasai colors and nicely constructed with a red ochre back -$599 BUY NOW

LL Newer, small 23” x 17” shield with a welded metal frame that is a high quality reproduction-$299 BUY NOW

MM Newer 33” x 24”shield with vibrant colors and a raised and reinforced boss-$1499 BUY NOW


North African Shields

34 Very thick, buffalo hide shield from the Oromo in Ethiopia. It measures 25” x 21” x 6” deep and has a thick leather handle. The undulated texture made it harder for edged weapons to penetrate this shield and in spite of that it exhibits at least five battle scars slashes that have not been repaired. This stunning piece came out of a Sonoma, CA collection-$1,299 BUY NOW

35 At least a century old, this beautifully made 32” x17” flares at the top and comes from the Sudan Mahdist Sudan war. It is crafted from very thick leather and utilizes a very unique handle design. The entire border is embossed with a subtle decoration which that is very well executed-$999 BUY NOW

36 Stunning Dinka parrying shield from the late 1800’s measures 52” x 17” (widest point) and comes from Sudan. It has all the expected components; a raised boss, dimpled texture, the reverse teardrop shape and a thick wooden main beam for rigidity. The main beam is held in place front and back with belts of leather from sections of the thick, piece of hide-$1,499 SOLD

37 Ancient leather shield from the fierce Turkana tribe in Kenya that dates back to the late 1800’s. After the turn of the century they transitioned to steel shields that offered some protection against bullets. This fine example is expertly crafted with fine leather work and a stout main beam that is adorned with Ostrich feathers-$799 BUY NOW

Authentic Reproductions

In over two decades of collecting, we have only come across a handful of authentic Zulu shields. Unlike Maasai shields, which have the hair scraped off, Zulu shields leave the hair on and this causes them to age less gracefully than all-leather Maasai or woven shields so they are extremely rare. For over a decade we have had to tell many of our customers that while we can supply Zulu spears, knobkerries and axes, we are unable to provide a matching Zulu shield. For this reason, ever since we put out our first catalog in 2008, we have been looking for a good source of authentic reproduction Zulu shields...this year we finally found one!

These are made by an 85 year old Zulu Warrior and his two apprentices in South Africa. They incorporate eye-catching Nguni cowhide, a wooden main beam and decorative impala hide fringe at the top. Colors of the shields, which are typically spotted include, black, white and tan.

We stock a large shield size and the length includes the wood main beam; it measures 52”x 20”. These are sold in four-piece sets which include; a shield, impala topped main beam, knobkerrie and spear.



Maasai Shields

These Maasai shields are crafted in a remote village in Tanzania and utilize construction techniques that have been passed down from father to son for hundreds of years. They display the traditional construction, geometric designs and bright colors which are unique to the shields of these proud people. Two sizes both with a wooden frame that shapes and supports the shaved cowhide.