Shield (ndome)

Kikuyu people, Murang'a, Kenya

Top: From a photograph taken by C. W. Hobley in the 1920s; AN601654001
©Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.
Bottom: Collected and donated by J.G. Le Breton in 1933; 1933.26.5These shields are called ndome. They are not practical war shields but specially made objects that relate to Irua. Irua refers both to the initiation ceremony between childhood and adulthood, and the physical operation of circumcision central to it. The ndome are carved from wood, usually by a specialist craftsmen but occasionally by the initiates themselves. They are worn with the ring under the left armpit, so the shield itself rises up over the shoulder. The reverse of the shield is always decorated with red, white or red zigzags but the front can feature individual patterns that may be adapted with successive generations. The boys might adopt this for their war shields once they attain warrior status.

For boys, Irua takes place between the ages of 15 and 18. Although they must endure the painful operation of circumcision in silence and without flinching, it remains the choice taken by most teenage boys. An uncircumcised male (of any age) faces several social disadvantages such as prohibition from owning any possessions, socialising with circumcised youths, fighting as warriors for the clan, or marrying.

The ceremony of Irua is lengthy, and the early parts comprise a number of dances. The ndome displayed here is a part of a costume worn during the dancing. The final 'Great Dance' is followed by the surgical operation itself, which takes place at a special ritual location.