Battle of Isandlwana took place in 1879 and killed over 1,000 soldiers
- It was likely used by a young warrior and taken as a souvenir by a soldier
- Over 150 items are for sale including a Zulu club and a necklace of teeth
The war began with a British invasion of Zululand, and ended with almost 8,000 dead, a British victory and Zulu independence.
Now, a Zulu shield from the 1879 war is being put up for auction.
The rare tribal shield which belonged to a young Zulu warrior is believed to have been used in the infamous battle of Isandlwana, a massacre that claimed the lives of over 1,300 British soldiers.
The Zulu war shield, or 'isihlangu' for sale: expected to sell for £800 at an auction which is thought to have been used in the battle of Isanlwana
Used as a weapon and armour in the 19th century the 4ft tall cover was wielded by a Zulu warrior in the massacre that took place immediately before the Battle of Rorke's Drift.
The Zulus charged at the British troops holding shields in front of them and hit their target with it before stabbing them with a long spear.
The primitive shield was made out of dried cow skin and the black colour and dark pattern of the leather suggest it was held by a young warrior and not an experienced fighter, who has lighter coloured shields.
Collection: Zulu stabbing spears (left) and staffs, collected as part of the set of artefacts up for auction
Marking: Inscription on a spear that is valued at £900, and was taken from the battle of Isandlwana
Deadly: An executioner's weapon, a stabbing spear, two status sticks, a shield. A collection of weapons used to slaughter British troops at the famous battle of Isandlwana
Despite the Zulus' victory, experts think the shield was taken as a souvenir by a British soldier after the decisive Battle of Ulundi six months later.
The shield is part of a £100,000 collection of Zulu weapons and artefacts that are being auctioned at Wallis and Wallis auctions in Lewes, East Sussex.
A 4ft long spear with a lethal 9 inch blade is also for auction, and is expected to sell for £900.
It has 'Ulundi 1879' carved into the handle and would have been brought home by a British soldier as a memento of conquering the Zulu kingdom to show to family and friends.
Hardwood 'knobkerries' or executioners' weapons. The club on the left is valued at £300
19th century Zulu necklaces made from jackal's teeth (left) and a similar necklace made from lion's teeth (right) priced at £2,000
David Smith, a former Royal Marine Commando from Beckenham, Kent amassed the collection.
There are over 150 items for sale including a wooden club that was used by an executioner, worth £300, and a necklace made from lion's teeth worth £2,000.
Mr Smith died aged 65 in 2009 and the items are being sold by his partner, Roberta Welham.
Ian Knight, a historian for Wallis and Wallis, said: 'In the 19th century every Zulu man had a shield.
'Smaller examples of the shields were kept for personal use whereas the larger ones would have been used in battle.
Fight scene: Michael Caine (left) played Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in the 1964 film, Zulu
Comparison: The film showed how the British soldiers were equipped with guns while the tribesmen only had spears and shields
As the warriors who fought at Isandlwana on January 22, 1879 were mostly young men, it is highly likely to have been used there.
'The King placed men in regiments when they turned 18, similar to doing national service, and he would give them a herd of cattle with similar colourings and markings.
'The men would then kill the cows and use the hide to make shields with the fur still attached, which became a uniform due to the patterns.
'Darker coloured cows were given to less experienced warriors and lighter colours cows were used for the older and more experienced men.
An illustration of the battle of Isandlwana, a massacre which claimed the lives of over 1,000 British redcoats
(Left) a black-and-white illutstration of a fray in the battle of Isandlwana, and (right) an illustration of Zulu warrior preparing to throw a spear during the battle
Illustration of the cavalry during the decisive battle of Isandlwana in 1879
'I believe that the large, dark, shield in this collection could have been used in the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 because in that particular war, the warriors were quite young.
'Once the British had conquered the Zulu kingdom six months later it is likely that they gathered up items like these to take back home as a souvenir of the war.
'They normally have a shelf life of around five years but it was probably well looked after and this would explain why it has remained in such good condition.
'One of the spears in the sale was taken from the battlefield after the Ulundi war, we know that because a British troop appears to have carved 'Ulundi' and the year on it.
'Other weapons in the sale are a spear called an Iklwa, because of the noise it apparently made when someone was stabbed with it, and an executioners club.
'It is rare to see a collection of this size and I haven't seen anything like it come up for sale during my whole time of collecting Zulu artefacts.'
The auction takes place on January 22.
BATTLES IN ZULULAND ENDED WITH ALMOST 8,000 DEAD
The Anglo - Zulu war took place during 1979, starting with an invasion by the British in January and ending with a British victory and Zulu independence five months later
The British invasion of Zululand began on the 11th of January 1879, with the British objective being an eventual federation in Africa.
The battle of Isandlwana erupted on the 22nd of January 1879, 11 days after the British started their invasion. 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked 1,800 British, colonial and native troops and 400 civilians.
The Zulus, who had more numbers, overwhelmed the British, killing over 1,300 troops, while around 1,000 Zulu soldiers were killed.
The battle of Rorke's drift started almost immediately after, ending on the 23rd, after 150 British and colonial troops were set upon, and ended up successfully defending themselves against an assault by almost 4,000 Zulu warriors.
The Battle of Ulundi on the 4th of July 1879 effectively ended the Zulu-Anglo war, with the defeat of the Zulu forces by the British when over 5,200 British and African soldiers razed the capital of Zululand after defeating the main Zulu army.
The war ultimately ended with a British victory, and Zulu independence.
War is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
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