African spears won Wednesday

David R · 7th May 2021, 01:51 PM

Browsing our "favourite online market" I found, bid on, and somewhat to my surprise, won these! Two African spears, of a type I used to think were Masai related, but have heard different from people in the trade. Here they are, and opinions invited and welcomed.
Vendors photo's only, as I eagerly await their arrival.

Mefidk · 7th May 2021, 05:43 PM

I would have called this a Masaai elder spear. This is based on the book by Christopher Spring, figure 108 which shows four spears for different warrior classes.
He does write about relatively recent changes in Masaai spears such that long bladed types appear to be relatively recent. So probably there is some flux in types.

colin henshaw · 8th May 2021, 01:21 PM

This type of spear was used (even until fairly recently) by several different tribal groups in Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, such as Turkana, Karamajong, Pokot, Latuka etc.

David R · 17th May 2021, 05:05 PM

They arrived today, and I am rather pleased with them, the photo's were spot on. Now I have to find a place to display them, my ceilings are too low to have them upright in any of the rooms, so it's going to be the stairwell or horizontally along a wall.
I am in fact running out of wall-space generally, "old collector problems"!

Hard to say how old they actually are, but not tourist pieces for certain. Well forged from single pieces of iron, and sharp as ruddy razors.

7th May 2021, 01:51 PM	#1
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,079	African spears won Wednesday Browsing our "favourite online market" I found, bid on, and somewhat to my surprise, won these! Two African spears, of a type I used to think were Masai related, but have heard different from people in the trade. Here they are, and opinions invited and welcomed. Vendors photo's only, as I eagerly await their arrival. Attached Images

7th May 2021, 05:43 PM	#2
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	I would have called this a Masaai elder spear. This is based on the book by Christopher Spring, figure 108 which shows four spears for different warrior classes. He does write about relatively recent changes in Masaai spears such that long bladed types appear to be relatively recent. So probably there is some flux in types.

8th May 2021, 01:21 PM	#3
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	This type of spear was used (even until fairly recently) by several different tribal groups in Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, such as Turkana, Karamajong, Pokot, Latuka etc.

17th May 2021, 05:05 PM	#4
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,079	They arrived today, and I am rather pleased with them, the photo's were spot on. Now I have to find a place to display them, my ceilings are too low to have them upright in any of the rooms, so it's going to be the stairwell or horizontally along a wall. I am in fact running out of wall-space generally, "old collector problems"! Hard to say how old they actually are, but not tourist pieces for certain. Well forged from single pieces of iron, and sharp as ruddy razors.