Zulu Warrior.

Number 24 in a set of 25 cigarette cards entitled 'Picturesque People of the Empire' issued by Ogden's branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd. There is a picture on one side with an inscription reading 'Zulu Warrior', and a description on the other side. The text on the reverse reads: 'Under the rule of the famous Chaka the Zulus became a powerful nation. By re-organizing his armies and improving their weapons he made himself master of Natal and Zululand. Chaka’s nephew, Cetywayo, revived the military glories of his uncle, and equipped some of his regiments with firearms. He came into conflict with the British and after heavy fighting the Zulus were ultimately defeated at Ulundi in 1879. Zulu warriors were usually dressed in leopard or ox-skins, with feather head-dresses and ornaments of coral and metal. The great ox-hide shields were 4-6 feet long.'

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk