African Art Collection Auction Ending 11/30

#18 – CEREMONIAL/PARADE KNIFE. Kundu/Konda people, Democratic Republic of Congo. The shaft of the wood handle is wrapped in braided copper wire, the upper part is wrapped in sheet copper, and the knob at the base is copper decorated with brass tacks. Copper and brass in any form were highly prized prestige items in Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The front of the body and upper arms are decorated with incised linear and zig-zag lines that are obscured by rust. Prestige knives such as this dating from the colonial era were sometimes used in important barter transactions. On custom base. Wood, iron, copper, brass. H17.5in. See “Tribal Arms Monograph”. Vol #2 “Execution Knives & Derivatives” by Christian Gosseau, Brussels 1997 Figs 87-88. This may be the only published description of this rare prestige knife.

CEREMONIAL/PARADE KNIFE. Kundu/Konda people, Democratic Republic of Congo. The shaft of the wood handle is wrapped in braided copper wire, the upper part is wrapped in sheet copper, and the knob at the base is copper decorated with brass tacks. Copper and brass in any form were highly prized prestige items in Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The front of the body and upper arms are decorated with incised linear and zig-zag lines that are obscured by rust. Prestige knives such as this dating from the colonial era were sometimes used in important barter transactions. On custom base. Wood, iron, copper, brass. H17.5in. See “Tribal Arms Monograph”. Vol #2 “Execution Knives & Derivatives” by Christian Gosseau, Brussels 1997 Figs 87-88. This may be the only published description of this rare prestige knife.

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