Congo sword ID help

[colin henshaw]

With regard to Kuba swords and knives ... the inlaid metal decorations to the wooden hilt are very finely done, usually in a greyish colour metal (sometimes in copper) ... I have wondered what type of metal it is - lead or zinc ??

Another observation - very similar work is to be found on some Acholi (Uganda) axes (images attached), but the Acholi are a long way from the Kuba. I wonder if this is just coincidence or is there another reason ?

[Mefidk]

That does indeed look like the same process, and even really closely similar styles and materials. Is this known from other areas too, or just these two?

I don't recall seeing it on other examples not attributed to Kuba, but clearly there are some.

[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by Mefidk

That does indeed look like the same process, and even really closely similar styles and materials. Is this known from other areas too, or just these two?

I don't recall seeing it on other examples not attributed to Kuba, but clearly there are some.

Chris, looking through the book "Panga na Visu" by Zirngible & Kubetz ... the only other tribes that seem to utilise this particular type of metal decoration on their weapon hilts, seem to be the Wongo and the Lele peoples. I believe they are both related to the Kuba and to be found in the same geographical area of the Congo ?

[Mefidk]

Hi Colin, that makes sense. Both Wongo and Lele are from Luluwa west, between Kuba and Pende, which fits well with the ideas on the sword which started this thread.

The closest other I found is Fishcher and Zirngibl fig 262, which Tchokwe, but the style is quite different even if the technique is similar. Nowhere near as close as the axe you showed. Also similar technique but quite different patterns from Luba, e.g. Waffen aus central Afrika fig 151.
So I suppose its possible that the axe pattern and Kuba patterns arrived independently. At least the technique for attaching these small metal strips seems quite widespread in central and south-east Congo (if not the style). So maybe it travelled or evolved elsewhere, even Uganda.

Panga na visu is really a nice book. My library on Congo includes this and Waffen above; Fischer; all of the Tribal arms monographs volumes I & II; Bastide's 3 books; Fatal Beauty; Rare African short weapons by Zirngibl; Standing on Ceremony; & The Cutting Edge. But I feel there must be more out there of use (sorry Luc I do not yet have your book if you are looking ). Do you know others you'd recommend?
Most of my collection is axes, for which I have not found any specialised book, but it would be nice if there is one I don't know of!

[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by Mefidk

Hi Colin, that makes sense. Both Wongo and Lele are from Luluwa west, between Kuba and Pende, which fits well with the ideas on the sword which started this thread.

The closest other I found is Fishcher and Zirngibl fig 262, which Tchokwe, but the style is quite different even if the technique is similar. Nowhere near as close as the axe you showed. Also similar technique but quite different patterns from Luba, e.g. Waffen aus central Afrika fig 151.
So I suppose its possible that the axe pattern and Kuba patterns arrived independently. At least the technique for attaching these small metal strips seems quite widespread in central and south-east Congo (if not the style). So maybe it travelled or evolved elsewhere, even Uganda.

Panga na visu is really a nice book. My library on Congo includes this and Waffen above; Fischer; all of the Tribal arms monographs volumes I & II; Bastide's 3 books; Fatal Beauty; Rare African short weapons by Zirngibl; Standing on Ceremony; & The Cutting Edge. But I feel there must be more out there of use (sorry Luc I do not yet have your book if you are looking ). Do you know others you'd recommend?
Most of my collection is axes, for which I have not found any specialised book, but it would be nice if there is one I don't know of!

Here are a few others to consider :-

P Westerdijk "African Metal Implements"
Marc Felix "Kipinga", 1991
H Westerdijk "Ijzerwerk van Centraal-Africa", 1982
P Westerdijk "The African Throwing Knife", 1988
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt "Ehe Die Gewehre Kamen", 1985

I know of only one book on African Axes .... "African Axes" by Carl Gosta Widstrand, 1958

[Mefidk]

Thanks Colin - I knew of some of these, but not all - including not knowing the axe book. I'll start looking for them

[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by Mefidk

Most of my collection is axes, for which I have not found any specialised book, but it would be nice if there is one I don't know of!

Chris, do please post some images of axes, I would be most interested.

Regards.

[Mefidk]

OK Colin, will do, thanks for the interest. It may take a little time since I need to take photos of a few, but I can start with a new thread on one or two. Most are Congo, but I have a few from elsewhere in Africa. But as I said only just starting out with this area so I only have 20 at the moment. None are stellar examples, rather I wanted first to get a feel for the range and quality before investing in high-end items.
Almost all the Congo axes are sold as Songye axes, but I have doubts about this - there would have to be a lot of important Songye with their ceremonial axes, and the range of form is quite large. I've seen some differentiation suggested east/west and there are the Nsapo types, but I suspect there is much more to this than I see in the texts mentioned above. I hope some answers might be found in the axe book

[Cathey]

Hi Guys

I did post this seperately but thought I might post it here as well. This short sword is almost identifcal to the one at the beginning of this post.

It is 18 ¼” (46.4 cm) long over all with a 13 ½” (34.4 cm) blade which is 2 ¾” (7 cm) wide at the swollen end. I had thought it might be a Songye, but I couldn’t find anything quite like it in Stones Glossary and African weapons are not my strong point.

The blade is very distinctive and based on this alone having looked at all of the examples on http://www.memoire-africaine.com/armes2.html and http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?9...-sword-49-3-cm, I still have the following list of what it might be:
Songye-Eki-Nsapo / Congo 1900-1920
Sword NGALA-Bangala
BENA-LULUA LUBA DRC
Glaive Tchokwé-Lunda 1900 Angola / Zaire
Songye short sword
Songye prestige sword

I am hoping someone might be able to narrow it down for me.

Regards Cathey

[Helleri]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

With regard to Kuba swords and knives ... the inlaid metal decorations to the wooden hilt are very finely done, usually in a greyish colour metal (sometimes in copper) ... I have wondered what type of metal it is - lead or zinc ??

Another observation - very similar work is to be found on some Acholi (Uganda) axes (images attached), but the Acholi are a long way from the Kuba. I wonder if this is just coincidence or is there another reason ?

More likely lead. It tends to get darker and duller with oxidation. Whereas Zinc gets dustier and whiter and can even get a light grey to white powder oxide deposit wherever there is a seam between it and wood for long enough. Zinc is also rather brittle by itself. Zinc also tends to be found as an oxide or sulfide in ores, mixed in with a lot of other stuff. Usually a good amount of smelting is required to extract relatively elementally pure zinc. Whereas lead can be frequently found in what is sometimes called native form. Appearing as highly homogeneous nuggets that can be cold forged as found very easily into a wide variety of shapes (working with lead is almost like working with play-dough in how it behaves). Lead likes to spread out when you hammer it so it would work really well for inlay. Zinc you'd have to cast and cut and can't really do much in the way of hammer shaping without crumbling it.

Another option for a dull grey malleable is pewter. Which is basically the opposite of bronze (high tin with a little bit of copper and other things as apposed to high copper with a little bit of tin and other things). But pewter can be really expensive and difficult to come by depending on where you are. Because tin is a rare earth metal. You really only see prolific use of it in native cultures where there are high deposits of tin as well as antimony and bismuth. Or where they could trade for it with areas that had it and had a high affinity for the stuff.