Mounted armed guard in a procession during festival of Sallah, Katsina, Nigeria

Object Details

Topic: Rites and ceremonies -- Africa; Regalia; Clothing and dress -- Africa; Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa; Animals -- Africa

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Nigeria

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "Heavy garments of quilted cotton cloth stuffed with capok were widely used as armour for horse and man in central and eastern Sudanic Africa. In the Sokoto caliphate of northern Nigeria, heavily armed horsemen in quilted armour were known as Yan Lifida. They often acted as the bodyguards of an Emir on the field. The various components which formed the armour are: the bantan lifidi covered the loins and abdomen; the safa the upper torso; the kumakumi was worn as a corselet; Such quilted armour was used either alone or in combination with chain mail (sulke). The war-horses themselves were sometimes outfitted with breastplates (dan gaba) as well. The helmet (kwalkwali) was a padded headpiece made of bound rags, sometimes covered by a tin or brass receptacle or chain mail, and decorated with the feathers of an ostrich or other brightly colored bird." [Ch. Spring, 1993: African Arms and Armour. British Museum press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.