Cameroon lance head

Iain · 11th April 2012, 12:05 PM

A recent purchase some members might find interesting. I don't often purchase spears due to shipping difficulties and length. However this one really caught my attention.

It is from the northern region of Cameroon, bordering Chad and Nigeria. Spears such as these can still be seen in parades to this day in the region. I am including a photo found on Flickr of such an event.

This example is fairly large, 74cm overall and the blade 51.5cm. It is extremely well made, with excellent forging and a strong and thick profile.

All comments welcome.

A.alnakkas · 11th April 2012, 01:47 PM

Congratulations mate, this is a lovely piece. I dont have anything to add due to my lack of experience in this field but I really like it!

Interesting costumes those chaps are wearing.

kronckew · 11th April 2012, 04:37 PM

really nice. i'd like to have one.

what kind of wood do they use for the lance shafts? looks fairly small diameter, so it'd have to be a quite strong wood.

Mefidk · 11th April 2012, 04:59 PM

Looks like a very nice piece Iain - wish I knew more about African lances and spears - but there is so much I'd like to know more about

Iain · 11th April 2012, 05:33 PM

Thanks for the comments.

Kronckew, I wish I could give a better answer but I really am not sure. These areas are fairly "scrubby" without a lot of major hardwood trees. I have read before in the Sahel regions the wood warps quite often so I guess they replaced the shafts fairly frequently.

I found this image on the forum which shows a pretty similar spear fully mounted. You can see there would be a small iron counterweight but really quite simple without the big butt spikes other Sahel spears have.

Martin Lubojacky · 11th April 2012, 06:00 PM

Hi Iain,

I have nothing to add from "scholarly" point of view. Very nice piece !
Regards,
Martin

fearn · 11th April 2012, 06:23 PM

Don't forget, it's also possible to straighten a pole when it's green (using heat), and many scrub woods are quite hard. There's a bush near me called "mountain mahogany," not because it looks like mahogany, but because of the hardness of the wood.

Best,

F

Iain · 11th April 2012, 09:32 PM

Hi Fearn,

That's a good point and quite probably a technique used in the area. I have to admit I haven't studied the construction behind these very much. I probably should see what I can find out! I do think in Cameroon there was better access to wood then for example in the more desert regions inhabited by the Tuareg - hence the Tuareg all iron lances.

colin henshaw · 12th April 2012, 11:42 AM

A nice spear head, well made. Interesting image too...

Regards.

Iain · 12th April 2012, 12:24 PM

Thanks Colin, the image is from Ngaoundere in the Adamawa region and was the site of a proxy Fulani state after the 19th century Jihads. There is an interesting set of photos on Flickr from the city and their Durbar. Plenty of takouba and spears on display!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcell...n/photostream/

colin henshaw · 12th April 2012, 03:34 PM

Great pictures, Iain - thanks for showing. There are some big trees in the background that could produce a lot of spear shafts !

Iain · 12th April 2012, 03:56 PM

Hi Colin, you are absolutely right. This is a bit more in the center of Cameroon so I guess their are some forests and larger trees. Photos from Mandara, north and west of here, has always looked more scrubby to me. But I'm certainly no expert on the area.

The shafts in the images I linked to seem fairly light weight but more than capable of getting the job done. Certainly not the monsters used up in Bornu though!

Gavin Nugent · 12th April 2012, 04:05 PM

Iain, as I have mentioned, a very nice and inspiring spear head.
Something else I find interesting from the image you presented of the cavalry if the chap on the far left with his back to the camera, he carries a sabre with knuckle guard.....are there know examples used in these regions, captured or otherwise?

Gav

Iain · 12th April 2012, 04:34 PM

Hi Gav,

I have often seen Hausa and Fulani with military sabres, I presume French and perhaps in the case of Cameroon German in origin. I've even seen a small sword carried by one fellow!

This is not really a case of abandoning traditional forms I think, in some of the regalia in the Hausa emirates there are foreign blades. If memory serves me correctly some Ottoman or Arab. So it's certainly not an exclusively new thing.

Since there never seemed to have been qualms in hilting up quality European blades it doesn't surprise me that if a good brass hilt happened along it would be put to good use.

Cheers,

Iain

EDIT: found a couple of the photos I meant:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8107676...n/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20086368@N06/2063180329/

Tim Simmons · 16th April 2012, 07:55 PM

I have been meaning to add this. I believe it comes from the border regions of Nigeria/Cameroon. 150cm long. The snake skin pattern engraving covers the whole thing. I have rather lost interest in collecting some African bits but I like this. I realise it will have limited appeal but how many others have you seen? Especially when you think about the millions of Congo bits that are about and priced as if they were rare.

11th April 2012, 12:05 PM	#1
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Cameroon lance head A recent purchase some members might find interesting. I don't often purchase spears due to shipping difficulties and length. However this one really caught my attention. It is from the northern region of Cameroon, bordering Chad and Nigeria. Spears such as these can still be seen in parades to this day in the region. I am including a photo found on Flickr of such an event. This example is fairly large, 74cm overall and the blade 51.5cm. It is extremely well made, with excellent forging and a strong and thick profile. All comments welcome. Attached Images

11th April 2012, 05:33 PM	#5
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Thanks for the comments. Kronckew, I wish I could give a better answer but I really am not sure. These areas are fairly "scrubby" without a lot of major hardwood trees. I have read before in the Sahel regions the wood warps quite often so I guess they replaced the shafts fairly frequently. I found this image on the forum which shows a pretty similar spear fully mounted. You can see there would be a small iron counterweight but really quite simple without the big butt spikes other Sahel spears have. Attached Images

12th April 2012, 04:05 PM	#13
Gavin Nugent Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,818	a sword Iain, as I have mentioned, a very nice and inspiring spear head. Something else I find interesting from the image you presented of the cavalry if the chap on the far left with his back to the camera, he carries a sabre with knuckle guard.....are there know examples used in these regions, captured or otherwise? Gav

16th April 2012, 07:55 PM	#15
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	I have been meaning to add this. I believe it comes from the border regions of Nigeria/Cameroon. 150cm long. The snake skin pattern engraving covers the whole thing. I have rather lost interest in collecting some African bits but I like this. I realise it will have limited appeal but how many others have you seen? Especially when you think about the millions of Congo bits that are about and priced as if they were rare. Attached Images

11th April 2012, 01:47 PM	#2
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	Congratulations mate, this is a lovely piece. I dont have anything to add due to my lack of experience in this field but I really like it! Interesting costumes those chaps are wearing.

11th April 2012, 04:37 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	really nice. i'd like to have one. what kind of wood do they use for the lance shafts? looks fairly small diameter, so it'd have to be a quite strong wood.

11th April 2012, 04:59 PM	#4
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Looks like a very nice piece Iain - wish I knew more about African lances and spears - but there is so much I'd like to know more about

11th April 2012, 06:00 PM	#6
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 841	Hi Iain, I have nothing to add from "scholarly" point of view. Very nice piece ! Regards, Martin

11th April 2012, 06:23 PM	#7
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Don't forget, it's also possible to straighten a pole when it's green (using heat), and many scrub woods are quite hard. There's a bush near me called "mountain mahogany," not because it looks like mahogany, but because of the hardness of the wood. Best, F

11th April 2012, 09:32 PM	#8
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Hi Fearn, That's a good point and quite probably a technique used in the area. I have to admit I haven't studied the construction behind these very much. I probably should see what I can find out! I do think in Cameroon there was better access to wood then for example in the more desert regions inhabited by the Tuareg - hence the Tuareg all iron lances.

12th April 2012, 11:42 AM	#9
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	A nice spear head, well made. Interesting image too... Regards.

12th April 2012, 12:24 PM	#10
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Thanks Colin, the image is from Ngaoundere in the Adamawa region and was the site of a proxy Fulani state after the 19th century Jihads. There is an interesting set of photos on Flickr from the city and their Durbar. Plenty of takouba and spears on display! http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcell...n/photostream/

12th April 2012, 03:34 PM	#11
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Great pictures, Iain - thanks for showing. There are some big trees in the background that could produce a lot of spear shafts !

12th April 2012, 03:56 PM	#12
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Hi Colin, you are absolutely right. This is a bit more in the center of Cameroon so I guess their are some forests and larger trees. Photos from Mandara, north and west of here, has always looked more scrubby to me. But I'm certainly no expert on the area. The shafts in the images I linked to seem fairly light weight but more than capable of getting the job done. Certainly not the monsters used up in Bornu though!

12th April 2012, 04:34 PM	#14
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Hi Gav, I have often seen Hausa and Fulani with military sabres, I presume French and perhaps in the case of Cameroon German in origin. I've even seen a small sword carried by one fellow! This is not really a case of abandoning traditional forms I think, in some of the regalia in the Hausa emirates there are foreign blades. If memory serves me correctly some Ottoman or Arab. So it's certainly not an exclusively new thing. Since there never seemed to have been qualms in hilting up quality European blades it doesn't surprise me that if a good brass hilt happened along it would be put to good use. Cheers, Iain EDIT: found a couple of the photos I meant: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8107676...n/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/20086368@N06/2063180329/