Thin flat blade with shallow channels extending the entire length and terminating in a rhomboid handle.

Blade Currency (liganda doa)

Maker Lokele Artist or

Maker Topoke Artist

Date17th–early 20th century

Place of originDemocratic Republic of Congo, Africa

MediumIron

Dimensions5 ft. 10 1/4 in. × 14 3/4 in. × 5/8 in. (178.4 × 37.5 × 1.6 cm)

ClassificationsFurnishings and Equipment

Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Nicole Dintenfass

Object number2016.86.9

Collections

AFRICAN

Visual DescriptionThin flat blade with shallow channels extending the entire length and terminating in a rhomboid handle.

Discover More

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

Staff terminating in curved blade, handle wrapped with handspun indigo dyed fibers and handwoven cloth.

Dance wand (sengese)

Mafa (Matakam) Artist

19th-20th century

Forged metal with two triangular blades on left, one with one blade on right. Each is curved and tapers to a fine point that is twisted on the extremities.

Throwing knife currency (oshele)

Ndengese Artist

20th century

staff with leaf shaped blade with small carinated knob on top,

Spear head currency ( bangala or mbili)

Bwaka Artist

19th-20th century

Iron torque with four twisted strands projecting from one end and a single strand terminating in a cone on the opposite end.

Torque currency

Chamba Artist

19th -20th century

Spear

Congolese Artist (Democratic Republic of Congo)

19th-20th century

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

Thin iron rod with undulating shape, ending in a ring on one side and terminating in a flat oval shape on the opposite end

Leg ornament

Lobi Artist

c. 1950

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

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 crocodile motif handle and cut out crocodile on blade.

Ceremonial Sword (afena)

Akan Artist

19th -20th century