African Weapon Auction Ending 12/5

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LIGANDA SPEAR CURRENCY. Topoke or Eso people, Congo. This non-functional spear-form currency was used until about 1920 in the Congo as bride price as well as currency in important transactions. It has been reported that in 1907 a male slave was valued at 30 liganda and a female slave from 40 to 100 liganda. Although liganda were probably in use from the 18th century, the earliest European description of these objects is attributed to Emil Torday who explored the region of the Congo where liganda were in use around 1900. However, very few ligandas made it into Western collections until the late 1980s. According to the source from whom this example was obtained, this liganda was collected in the Congo in the 1980s. The left side of the shaft and the left wing-shaped flange at the base are decorated with a series of subtle parallel grooves on the front and back. A wooden peg inserted into the short hollow handle at the base held the liganda upright when stuck into the ground. On custom wall mount. Iron. H159in.

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F-FORM THROWING BLADES. (A) Laka people, Cameroon. Hand forged iron with blacksmith?s hammer marks. Upper end of shaft is slightly curved, giving rise to a down turned pointed upper branch and lower pointed horizontal branch. Blade is sharp. Dated mid-to-early 1800s. On custom base. H 25in. Ex collection of Martial Bronsin Brussels Belgium. (B) Sara people, Cameroon, Chad. The upper end of the straight shaft gives rise to a pointed horizontal branch, a blunt slightly curved upper branch, and a spike. Hand forged with blacksmith?s hammer marks. Blade is sharp. On custom base. H 21.75in. Ex collection of Martial Bronsin Brussels Belgium.

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THROWING KNIFE. Mbanza people, Democratic Republic of Congo. Engraved design on one surface of the blade is obscured by patina. Design is engraved on the bone handle which is darkened by wear. Crescent shaped blade with long and short spikes set at right angles. Blade is sharp. Collected in Democratic Republic of Congo by father of previous owner in early 20th century. H 10.5in W 12in.

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CURRENCY THROWING KNIFE. Fulani people, Cameroon or Nigeria. This is an F-form throwing knife that has been altered to be non-functional as a weapon by wrapping the tip of the point with an iron band and cutting a notch in the lower branch which is curved down and blunt. It is also heavier than a typical throwing knife and the edges are not sharp. One side of the shaft and the branch is decorated with engraved chevron designs. All of these features indicate that this object was created for use as currency rather than as a weapon. The handle is wrapped in woven raffia. Dated to mid-1800s. On custom base. Iron, raffia. H 22in.

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LONG SICKLE=SHAPED WEAPON. Ngombe people, Congo. The blade is sharp on the concave edge of the straight shaft. The curved tip is sharp on both edges. This hand forged blade is set in a wood handle that is wrapped with iron wire. A loop at the end of the handle protrudes through the bottom of the handle. Black smith?s hammer marks apparent. Indistinct chevron design on shaft of blade. Dated to 1930s. On custom base. Iron, wood. H23in.

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CEREMONIAL EXECUTION SWORD. Tikar people, Cameroon. This broad heavy blade, tapered toward the handle, is sharp on both edges. The design allows for greater momentum for the upper part of the shaft when the sword is swung. The U-shaped tip is typical for a Tikar sword and may have been used to hold the victim?s neck before it was struck with the blade. Hand forged blade with black smith?s marks. Narrow end was set in a large wood or metal handle. On custom base. Iron. H 24in.

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EXCEPTIONAL CHIEF'S PRESTIGE PARADE AX (KILANDA). Songye people, Congo. This ax was held up during ceremonial parades by a man of high social standing and wealth. Marks of the prestige associated with it are the handle covered with bright, thin copper sheeting and the round copper medallion inserted in the iron blade. Note that the lower part of the handle has circumferential rings and the upper part of the shaft has a hammered texture. The center of the medallion is perforated to create the form of a Katanga cross, a copper ingot that was widely used as currency. The flared iron blade is also decorated with a filigree design created by a series of small holes and etched designs. Late 19th century. On custom base. Copper sheet over wood handle, copper medallion, iron blade. H 16in, blade 6in. Ex Dalton Somare collection, Milan, Italy. Ex collection of General Augusto Cermelli, Rome.

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SLASHING KNIFE. Konda or Mongo people, Congo. Typical tulip shape with flared rounded end. Central rib gives rise to subtle branches near the top. Decorative material was sometimes hung from or attached to the holes. Edges sharp. Used as a weapon but also carried as a mark of prestige in certain ceremonies. Dated to late 19th or early 20th century. Hand forged iron with blacksmith?s marks. Wooden handle shows wear from use. On custom base. Iron, wood. H 21in.

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SPEAR CURRENCY. Toubou people, Chad, Niger, Sudan. Used as a medium of exchange in important transactions such as bridal contracts. Hand forged iron with central engraved serpentine design extending from tip to upper handle where it ends in design of horizontal bands. On custom base. H 30in.

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SPEAR FORM CEREMONIAL MUSICAL STAFF. Yoruba people, Nigeria. Carried during important ceremonial dances and held on a wood staff which was inserted into the socket at the base. Shaft splits into two pairs of peapod-shaped bells containing small stone clappers. Blunt spear point at tip. On custom base. Hand forged iron, stones. H 30in.

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THREE WEST AFRICAN KNIVES. All wood handles were carved by blacksmiths. (A) Kuba people, Congo. Biconcave slashing knife set in a wood handle that is wrapped with copper wire and decorated with tacks. Handle shows wear from use. Iron, copper, tacks, wood. H 12in. (B) Yakoma people, Central African Republic. Heavy, oval slashing blade set into hourglass wood handle. Handle and blade show wear from use. Iron, wood. H 15.5in. (C) Yombe people, Congo. Stabbing knife in form of a spear point with wide central spine. Handle shows wear from use. Hand forged iron blade. H 18in.

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OUTSTANDING ?THROWING? KNIFE (SENGESE). Matakam or Kapsiki people, Cameroon. The Matakam, Kapsiki, and other related tribes in the Kirdi group living in the Mandara Mountains in northern Cameroon are know for having developed this F-form of knife which is too heavy to be easily thrown and was used as hand held weapons by mounted warriors. The semilunar curved blade at the top is sharp on the inner and outer edges. The knee below the blade was used as a club. The knife was carried by a thong that was strung between the loop on the back edge of the curved part of the shaft and tied to the ring at the bottom of the handle. When not carried in this way, the curved part of the shaft was placed over the shoulder with the handle forward which was held in one hand. Engraved designs are present on the curved part of the shaft, knee, and semilunar blade at the top. The handle is wrapped with a woven leather cord. On custom base. Hand forged iron, leather. H 24in.

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RITUAL KNIFE/AX. Fali, Bana, and Kapsiki people, Cameroon and Nigeria. Ax was carried by brothers or senior sons of deceased men of high status in the community during funeral ceremonies. The shape of the ax is said to be a stylized representation of the head of a rooster, a sacred animal among these tribes. The iron blade is attached to a wood handle that is wrapped with a woven leather thong. A metal cap at the base of the handle is probably aluminum, a metal highly prized and rarely available in this region in the early 1900s when this object was made. On custom base. Iron, wood, leather, aluminum. H 15in.

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ROYAL KNIFE (TROMBASH). Mangbetu people, Congo. This unusually shaped knife was used as a scepter by the King of the Mangbetu and important members of the royal court. The earliest description of this knife was recorded by the explorer, Georg Schweinfurth, in 1870 when he ?discovered? the Mangbetu and was welcomed by King Munsa. Edges of the blade are sharp and it is thought that the knife was used to decapitate ?criminals?. The blunt knobs, holes in the blade, and heavy thick handle are typical features. The blade is strengthened by a spine on the shaft that follows the right angle to the tip. On custom base. Hand forged. H 13in.

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RARE CEREMONIAL KNIFE/DAGGER. Vere and Dadiya people, Nigeria. This flat, sharp-edged knife with a decorative handle was used as a form of currency by these small tribes living along the Benue River in northeastern Nigeria. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 13in. Ex Roberto Ballarini collection, Milan Italy.

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NGALIO THROWING KNIFE. Sara people, Central African Republic. This blade features a characteristic upturned, sinuous branch at the top and a pointed lateral branch midshaft. These weapons were carried in bundles of 3 or more in a reinforced leather pouch hung from a warrior's shoulder. Throwing blades in this lot and LOTS 2 and 3 were thrown side arm by mounted warriors. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H30in.

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EXCEPTIONAL ?STANLEY POOL? KNIFE. Tetela and Mbole people, Congo. Although it was once thought that these knifes originated in the Stanley Pool area where they were first encountered by European explorers, it is now believed that they were introduced farther to the north. The unusual feature is a large, heavy solid iron butt or pommel. There has been considerable speculation about how a knife with such a heavy butt was used. A widely held theory is that the knife was dropped butt first to stun an enemy by a warrior hidden in a tree along a forest trail. The warrior would then descend quickly and stab the incapacitated enemy with the knife. While this might be possible, it would require exceptional coordination and aim. It is more likely that prestige was attached to the size and weight of the pommel. The blade is embedded in a wooden shaft that is wrapped in copper wire and stuck into the iron pommel. Overall weight is 8lb, with most of the weight in the pommel. H 21.25in.