African objects, such as the present ones, are less fighting or hunting weapons than symbols of status and prestige:

1: Two long, narrow, forged throwing irons, curved into a point. Both objects carry, roughly in their middle, a typical ‘hook’ forged at the same time. This type exists amongst the Mofu, Falli and other tribes in northern Cameroon. One of the throwing irons features a wrapping of thick iron wire above the side ‘hook’ and a hilt made of braided leather bands. The other, probably older piece is unadorned and displays the inventory number of a collection, in white lettering, at the bottom. Length: 58 cm and 64 cm.

2: A prestige axe of the Kwere, Zaramo or Luguru, from Tanzania, East Africa. With a long, round wooden shaft, which is flattened towards the top. The shaft of hard wood is coloured brown and at the top black. The flat, upper head section is pierced. In this hole is seated a locally-forged, narrow iron blade. The blade at the front is set diagonally facing downwards, and with its smaller end, which projects on the other side of the shaft, it sweeps elegantly upwards. On its flat upper area the shaft is decorated on both sides with double chip-carving crosses, and on the lower, rounded handle area with three sections of encircling grooves and linear incised grids. With good, old shiny patina and white inventory number of a collection, below on the shaft. Length: 54 cm (the wooden shaft), 23.5 cm (the inserted blade).

3: A very old, small axe of the Haussa, from northern Nigeria. With a semicircular enlarged iron blade of locally-forged iron on the front, decorated with punched dot-line motifs. The blade is inserted into the ‘head’ of a very old, dark brown wooden shaft. On its enlarged, semicircular ‘head’ the shaft is decorated with ornamental brass nails (some are missing). This wooden shaft displays a crack along its round handle, as well as an additional, old crack on its ‘head’ above. Yet the wooden part of the axe displays very old, shiny patina as a result of protracted use. Length: 34 cm (the shaft); 17.5 cm (the iron blade).

All 4 objects: First half to mid-20th century. (ME)

Provenance: South African private collection.

Lit.: ‘Afrikanische Waffen’ by Fischer & Zirngibl, ill. 26, 33; ‘Tanzania’ by Marc l. Felix & Maria Kecskési, ill. 58, 59, 60; ‘Glaube, Kult und Geisterwelt’ by Ralf Schulte-Bahrenberg, p. 119, 120.