IDNO

P.48927.ACH2

Description

A group of six Massai? warriors, with four wearing headdresses made from lion man, and two wearing ostrich feather headdresses and feather? cape?, all holding decorated buffalo skin shields. [JD 19/10/2009]

Place

E Africa; ?Kenya; ?Rift Valley

Cultural Affliation

?Massai

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Date

Collection Name

Unmounted Haddon Collection

Source

Greenwood, Ronald Charles (Captain, H.F.I.)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

The print was found in envelope now marked C157/2/5/. This envelope was found in drawer 2 of the green cabinet. The entire cabinet was previously numbered as “batch 143” and is now re-numbered C157/ by the transcriber.

Place: The Place field was previously recorded as being “Africa; ?South Africa”, but the men are wearing headdresses made from lion manes, and holding buffalo skin shields, both of which are traditional for Massai warriors, Kenya. The Place field has been amended accordingly. [JD 19/10/2009]

Context: A photograph of similar headdresses and shields is published on Aluka, an online digital library of scholarly resources from and about Africa, with the following information:
“Headdress fashioned from lion's mane, worn by Maasai warrior on ceremonial occasions. The most demanding test that a Maasai can face is the stalking and killing of a lion. Tradition dictates that at least once during his warriorhood he must take on this formidable challenge with only his wits and a spear to arm him. For the Eunoto, each warrior hopes to carry a buffalo hide shield decorated with symbols of his achievement during warriorhood. To carry such a shield he must either have killed a buffalo or receive the shield as a gift from an older brother.” [Source: www.aluka.org, JD 19/10/2009]