Topoke Rattan Shield, Democratic Republic of Congo

Tall, dark, closely woven. Not a piece that explains itself.

A shield from the Democratic Republic of Congo, early twentieth century. Rattan and wood, nearly three and a half feet high but only twenty inches wide. The surface is a dense, dark lattice of fine bound strips in rows, each one tightened against the next. A fold across the middle gives it the shape of a long, stiff leaf.

Rattan is lightweight and tough. In the Congo basin, that combination has served makers well.

Lean it against a pale wall. The contrast does the rest.