Toposa Shield, Sudan

Beautiful early 20th century Toposa shield, made of leather and wood.   mounted on a custom made metal display. A Toposa shield is a traditional weapon used by the Toposa, an ethnic group in South Sudan. The shield, often made of thick hide, was an important part of their war dress, along with a long throwing spear. The Toposa were known for their cattle drives and cattle fights, and used the shield as a protection when attacking and fending off enemies