Small, delicate and elegant dance axes, such as the ones in the present lot, are used by certain tribes in the border region between North Nigeria and North Cameroon in ritual dances (for instance, amongst the Chamba, Mambila, Mumuye, Montol, etc.).

1: The larger of the three dance axes has a slightly curved blunt blade forged out of iron (without cutting edge), with sleeve forged at the same time. A wooden shaft is inserted in the sleeve in the form of ‘knee-shaft hafting’. The shaft is decorated with fine, geometric line patterns. The finial below is offset. The wooden shaft shows an old shiny patina through frequent use.

2: The two additional dance axes of this mixed lot generally display the same form as the aforementioned item (no. 1), yet are completely forged of iron. Both objects have equally curved, blunt blades. Along the edges of the blades, the smith engraved hatched rows of spikes as ornament. One of the two ‘decorative axes’ has three short wrappings of copper wire as decoration. The other has on its shaft two all-round sections with engraved ‘herringbone patterns’. On its upper end, behind a copper wire wrapping, it has a small, pierced, British colonial coin as decoration. The coin is dated: ‘1940’. All three objects are old, with traces of use and perfectly preserved. No damage.

Height: 35 cm, 34 cm and 32 cm (the shafts); width: 34 cm, 32 cm and 31 cm (along the blades). First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian private collection.