Old ngulu

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by werecow

What is the thickness of the sword in the OP Marc?

My example below does not have the reinforcements near the grip and it goes from a 3mm spine near the grip to 2mm near the tip, which seems too thin for a sword meant for use. I assume it is a ceremonial example (according to the seller it was originally a gift to a German diplomat).

Thickness of on ngulu is against the handle 3.6 mm, not that much thicker than your specimen. In the attached photo , the last and my first ngulu. The difference is very obvious how solid the blade of the left ngulu is versus the right one. Both your ngulu and my first specimen are indeed ceremonial.
I estimate both to be around the mid-20th century.
Regards
Marc

[Marc M.]

Photograph of a staged execution.

[Pertinax]

Thanks to Marc for the info.
These knives were a more stable "currency" than cowrie shells.