African Arts Gallery

Tutsi cuff (N° 22545)

This functional adornment intended for archers was worn on the left in order to protect the forearm from collisions. In Rwanda, the Tutsi used a pad covered with grass, and wooden protections named igitembe were therefore rare.
Velvety patina, copper inlays on each side.
Height on base: 25 cm.

Abrasions and cracks.
A nomadic people, the Tutsi were particularly decimated by the Islamic slave trade and by recurrent internal wars. The groups of people called "Bantous interlacustres", established between Lake Victoria and the Limpopo River, include the Ganda, Nyoro, Nkole, Soga, Toro, Hima, and the Tutsi of Rwanda and Burundi. Their cultures have similarities, like their artistic production and their objects of daily use. The Tutsi raise cattle. They also excel in the art of weaving and basketry. Source: "Africa, the art of a continent" Ed. Prestel P.157