Zulu shields are traditionally made from Nguni Cow hide.
Zulu shields were originally used in battle. However, in our modern times they are mainly used for traditional Zulu ceremonies; such as weddings and funerals. Zulu Shields were mainly used for protection. The Zulu war-shield could be tall enough to cover the owner’s body and it is in an oval shape that can withstand any spear from penetrating it. Formal training was not in use until King Shaka Zulu took over the Mthetwa army and revolutionized the Zulu weapons.
The making of Zulu shields, both for ceremony and war, was a specialized craft. Hide was taken from the back of an animal, pegged out in the sun to harden and dry then buried under manure for at least two days before being pounded with stones. The characteristic oval shape was cut and a central stick support secured by leather loops. Two columns of small horizontal slits were cut in the face of the shield and supple pieces of leather interwoven between them down each side of the stick to give the central section a double thickness.
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