Painting on parchment depicting a group of armed men. In the background are three men in white cotton trousers and tunics carrying traditional spears. In the foreground are two men who wear white cotton trousers, tunics, richly embroidered capes, 'lemd', and lion-mane headdresses. They carry velvet-covered shields; one has a curved sword, 'shotel', in a red leather sheath and the other carries a gun.
Ethiopian artists often portray aspects of their daily lives. Their paintings are a valuable source of information about the life and culture of the Ethiopian people. In this painting the artist has depicted two groups of men of differing rank. The two men in the foreground wear expensive embroidered cloaks. The man to the right also wears a green tunic made of imported silk. Both wear lion-mane headdresses which are bestowed upon loyal retainers or warriors for bravery. The 'lemd' or cloak has five pendants resembling the paws of a lion. Sometimes 'lemd' are made of lion or panther skin, while others, such as the ones painted here, are made of velvet embroidered with silk and sometimes silver and gold thread. They were given as gifts to loyal men as a reward for their bravery.
