Strange African Spear?

Luc LEFEBVRE · 19th February 2006, 05:30 PM

Great piece, I agree.
There is a lot of very good books, monographs and thesis on African weapons, especially for Central Africa.Throwing knives, sickled weapons, executions knives are classified in different category.Provenance is known.
No problem.
Even for most of the spears, bows and arrows of Congo.

A small list:

The African throwing knife: a style analysis PETER WESTERDIJK UNIVERSITE D’UTRECHT

Tribal arms monograph vol I n° 1, 2, 3 JAN ELSEN BRUXELLES
De fer et de fierté, Armes blanche d’Afrique Noire du musée Barbier Mueller 5 CONTINENTS

Kipinga Throwing Blades of Central Africa Marc L FELIX JAHN MUNICH

Couteaux de jet ou la collection d’un peintre Patrick et Ondine MESTDAGH 31 rue des minimes BRUXELLES.

Armi bianche dell’Africa Nera - Black africa’straditional arms ROBERTO BALLARINI AFRICA CURIO MILAN

Lame d’Africa MARCO S PICARDI LUCIANO SALVATICI Centro di recerca e documentazione sull’artigianato dei ferri taglienti - Scarperia - FLORENCE

Armes blanches de l’Afrique Noire ABC n° hors serie de septembre 1974

Beauty in the Blade MARIE JO ARNOLDI - MARC LEO FELIX - JAN ELSEN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI -KANSAS CITY

Afrikanische waffen WERNER FISHER MANFRED A.ZIRNGIBL PRINZ VERLAG PASSAU

Ngola HURST GALLERY CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETS

African arms and armour CHRISTOPHER SPRING BRITISH MUSEUM PRESS

L’Art de la guerre CHRISTIAN FEEST RIVE GAUCHE PRODUCTIONS

Tribal arms monograph vol II - GUBA vol 1 Boucliers tresses du bassin du Congo JAN ELSEN YVAN BAUR EDITIONS MARC FELIX

Tribal arms monograph vol II - GUBA vol 2 Boucliers en bois du bassin du Congo JAN ELSEN YVAN BAUR EDITIONS MARC FELIX

Jim McDougall · 20th February 2006, 02:18 PM

Hi Luc,
Thank you for adding that outstanding bibliography!! These are all excellent titles, and many of the titles though published in one language, carry subcaptions and other language summarizations.
As can be seen by my post on this item, identifying ethnographic weapons is often extremely subjective and despite the numerous resources, a considerable degree of speculation and consideration is often required.

To identify a weapon specifically using the typology offered as guidelines in most resources is typically very fortunate. The hybridization, diffusion through trade and reworking of various weapons with the often nomadic movements ,in degree,of tribal peoples, most often compounds the difficulty in exact identification . With weapons becoming composite over long working lives, accurate dating also usually presents a problem. The provenance of a weapon usually offers only its place and time of collection, and while its noting can often present sound identification, there are obviously many complications which may discredit such noted provenance. In the case of museums there have been numerous instances of miscataloging, items misplaced in incorrect groupings and other similar situations. The provenance of a weapon from private collections typically relies heavily on assumption unless the weapon is collected personally rather than acquired through purchase from secondary sources. Fortunately there are numerous dealers whose reputations are beyond reproach, and thier descriptions, reflecting sound experience, may be relied upon.

Thank you again for adding those outstanding titles (some of which I do not yet have so gotta get busy!!!

and for the opportunity to add my own notes for any collectors just starting in 'the great game'!! that is collecting ethnographic edged weapons.

All the very best,
Jim

Luc LEFEBVRE · 20th February 2006, 10:04 PM

There is many other books on African weapons, let me know if you want another list...
The problem in Africa is that the blacksmith of a tribe, if he is recognized has a good one, is forging for many other tribes, and so the weapons are moving from a region to another.And then are reproduced and copied.
There are very good studies about that and really good specialists.But we are discovering new things every day, that's why I like African weapons.
Luc

19th February 2006, 05:30 PM	#1
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 473	Localisation Great piece, I agree. There is a lot of very good books, monographs and thesis on African weapons, especially for Central Africa.Throwing knives, sickled weapons, executions knives are classified in different category.Provenance is known. No problem. Even for most of the spears, bows and arrows of Congo. A small list: The African throwing knife: a style analysis PETER WESTERDIJK UNIVERSITE D’UTRECHT Tribal arms monograph vol I n° 1, 2, 3 JAN ELSEN BRUXELLES De fer et de fierté, Armes blanche d’Afrique Noire du musée Barbier Mueller 5 CONTINENTS Kipinga Throwing Blades of Central Africa Marc L FELIX JAHN MUNICH Couteaux de jet ou la collection d’un peintre Patrick et Ondine MESTDAGH 31 rue des minimes BRUXELLES. Armi bianche dell’Africa Nera - Black africa’straditional arms ROBERTO BALLARINI AFRICA CURIO MILAN Lame d’Africa MARCO S PICARDI LUCIANO SALVATICI Centro di recerca e documentazione sull’artigianato dei ferri taglienti - Scarperia - FLORENCE Armes blanches de l’Afrique Noire ABC n° hors serie de septembre 1974 Beauty in the Blade MARIE JO ARNOLDI - MARC LEO FELIX - JAN ELSEN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI -KANSAS CITY Afrikanische waffen WERNER FISHER MANFRED A.ZIRNGIBL PRINZ VERLAG PASSAU Ngola HURST GALLERY CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETS African arms and armour CHRISTOPHER SPRING BRITISH MUSEUM PRESS L’Art de la guerre CHRISTIAN FEEST RIVE GAUCHE PRODUCTIONS Tribal arms monograph vol II - GUBA vol 1 Boucliers tresses du bassin du Congo JAN ELSEN YVAN BAUR EDITIONS MARC FELIX Tribal arms monograph vol II - GUBA vol 2 Boucliers en bois du bassin du Congo JAN ELSEN YVAN BAUR EDITIONS MARC FELIX

20th February 2006, 02:18 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,453	Hi Luc, Thank you for adding that outstanding bibliography!! These are all excellent titles, and many of the titles though published in one language, carry subcaptions and other language summarizations. As can be seen by my post on this item, identifying ethnographic weapons is often extremely subjective and despite the numerous resources, a considerable degree of speculation and consideration is often required. To identify a weapon specifically using the typology offered as guidelines in most resources is typically very fortunate. The hybridization, diffusion through trade and reworking of various weapons with the often nomadic movements ,in degree,of tribal peoples, most often compounds the difficulty in exact identification . With weapons becoming composite over long working lives, accurate dating also usually presents a problem. The provenance of a weapon usually offers only its place and time of collection, and while its noting can often present sound identification, there are obviously many complications which may discredit such noted provenance. In the case of museums there have been numerous instances of miscataloging, items misplaced in incorrect groupings and other similar situations. The provenance of a weapon from private collections typically relies heavily on assumption unless the weapon is collected personally rather than acquired through purchase from secondary sources. Fortunately there are numerous dealers whose reputations are beyond reproach, and thier descriptions, reflecting sound experience, may be relied upon. Thank you again for adding those outstanding titles (some of which I do not yet have so gotta get busy!!! and for the opportunity to add my own notes for any collectors just starting in 'the great game'!! that is collecting ethnographic edged weapons. All the very best, Jim

20th February 2006, 10:04 PM	#3
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 473	There is many other books on African weapons, let me know if you want another list... The problem in Africa is that the blacksmith of a tribe, if he is recognized has a good one, is forging for many other tribes, and so the weapons are moving from a region to another.And then are reproduced and copied. There are very good studies about that and really good specialists.But we are discovering new things every day, that's why I like African weapons. Luc