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Iron staff with curved handle and blade.
Ceremonial Sword
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Randy Batista

Ceremonial Sword

Maker Turka Artist
Datelate 19th-early 20th century
Place of originBurkina Faso
MediumIron
Dimensions32 × 6 × 1/4 in. (81.3 × 15.2 × 0.6 cm)
ClassificationsFurnishings and Equipment
Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Nicole Dintenfass
Object number2016.86.8
Collections
Visual DescriptionIron staff with curved handle and blade.
Flat bronze blade with cut out motif in center and around edges, ivory handle and loop on tope with cluster of twisted iron rods in center.
Ceremonial Sword (Eben)
Edo Artist
19th Century
Sword with double-lobed handle of incised wood with traces of gold leaf, bronze serpent forming the shaft, terminating in three cut-out curved blades.
Ceremonial Sword (afenatene)
Akan Artist
19th-20th century
Sword with crocodile motif handle and cut out crocodile on blade.
Ceremonial Sword (afena)
Akan Artist
19th -20th century
Forged curved blade with blunt end, and cast brass handle; cut out depiction of a chameleon on the inner curve, and cross cut-out in center of blade, with words engraved above: MK Balogu; Kent I of AL on one side and 23. 9 47 XX MK Balogu AL on the opposite side. Engraved images of fish, serpents and possibly a frog, with borders of small circles. Edge of blade has rings, possible for attaching crotal bells (now missing).
Ceremonial knife
Fon Artist
20th century
Knife with curved blade, with small stabbing blade attached, figurated handle with two heads.
Ceremonial knife
Sierra Leonean Artist
20th century
Sword with double lobed handle of wood, with delicately incised motifs of human faces and geometric shapes; remnant pieces of gold leaf in incised areas.
Ceremonial sword with double lobed handle (afena or akofena)
Baule Artist
19th-20th century
Staff terminating in curved blade, handle wrapped with handspun indigo dyed fibers and handwoven cloth.
Dance wand (sengese)
Mafa (Matakam) Artist
19th-20th century
staff with leaf shaped blade with small carinated knob on top,
Spear head currency ( bangala or mbili)
Bwaka Artist
19th-20th century
Staff with carved and incised wood staff wrapped with iron strips on upper portion of handle.
Staff for Agricultural Deity (Opa Orisa Oko)
Yoruba Artist
20th century
Spear with iron blade and opposing end sharpened as stabber; triangular blade with barbs on its shaft and incising; wood handle has incising, bulb in center with cross hatching; handle is wrapped in copper strips.
Double ended spear
Congolese Artist (Democratic Republic of Congo)
before 1953
Iron blade with twisted iron strands on shaft; copper wrapped wooden handle.
Spear
African Artist
19th-20th century
Thin iron spear blade, with long wooden handle wrapped with strips of copper, ending in a knob wrapped with copper sheeting; some detached sheeting due to wear.
Spear
Congolese Artist (Democratic Republic of Congo)
19th-20th century

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