Fragment of a Spear (eng'erempe or eremet) (1900s): Art, History and Details

Fragment of a Spear (eng'erempe or eremet) (1900s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Masaai men of different ages use different styles of weapons. Though this example is incomplete, the long, flat blade indicates that it once belonged to a man whose age group was called moran (junior warrior). Held at the middle by the wood shaft, the weighty spear was balanced by a now-missing butt end, essentially a slender metal spike. These weapons were practical, and were often used by moran in lion hunting.

Object facts

• Title: Fragment of a Spear (eng'erempe or eremet)
• Date: 1900s
• Culture: Africa, Eastern Africa, Kenya, Masaai style, unknown maker
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: iron and wood
• Dimensions: Overall: 17.6 cm (6 15/16 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 1929.371

A detail from the museum

This spear was used along with a shield.

Collection credit

Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.