Original / authentic hippo hide shield from the Oromo / Arussie people of Southern Ethiopia. To make these shields craftsmen—called chawa in Oromo—cut hide to shape, place it on a concave receptacle, oil it as it is pounded and stretched into its unique shape, and dry it. A thick leather handle was rolled and secured to the back. Other examples of Oromo shields also feature the concentric rings seen across the face of this shield as well as the knob. There were always ties between the Oromo and Arab people and some of the Oromo’s more intricate shields appear to come from Oman via trade. The knob seen at the center of this shield could be a synthesis of African and Middle Eastern shield styles. This shield comes from the Roy & Sophia Sieber Collection (USA, 1923-2001). Proof of this will be provided to the buyer, signed by Ellen Sieber, former Chief Curator at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures (currently Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Matthew Sieber, former Manager of Exhibitions at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures (currently Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Roy Sieber (1923–2001) was the founding figure of African art history in the United States and the first American to earn a PhD in African art (1957). A distinguished professor at Indiana University and later Associ-ate Director for Collections and Research at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Afri-can Art, he helped shape museum standards and scholarship. His African art collection and research library reflect a lifetime of connoisseurship, intellectual rigor, and enduring influence.