Dinka Parrying Shield

These narrow, compact parrying shields, such as the present work, are used to ward off blows from fighting clubs and other handheld weapons during hand-to-hand combat. Originally gripped by the handle visible at the left and held with the narrow edge at the right toward the opponent, this parrying shield is adorned with a series of engraved zigzag motifs.

The Dinka people (Dinka: Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotic ethnic group indigenous to South Sudan. They primarily inhabit the Nile River basin, stretching from Mangalla through Bor to Renk, as well as the regions of Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile, and the Abyei area traditionally associated with the Ngok Dinka.

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