Two new pieces (from Congo!)

[Flavio]

I know that many of us already knows these kind of swords, but.... who knows? Maybe for someone of the new members these are quite unknowns and they like to see them
A konda short sword ( the one with scabbard) and a Lobala anthropomorphic sword.
The konda has the scabbard painted in green on the face. The paint is old as there are many points where the paint is gone and there is a very nice patina. On the back There are engraved some letters... I see F A J O...
The Lobala... well... It's very nice

[Flavio]

Letters on scabbard

[Sajen]

Hello Flavio,

two very nice swords. It's a pity that the Lobala have such many pittings but still a nice and rare sword. Other as mine it has nipples! And the handle is beautiful. How long is it?
The Konda is in a very good condition and is an extra plus to have the scabbard, equal if it's painted or not.

Regards,

Detlef

[Flavio]

Hi Detlef!

The lobala is long circa 62 cm. The face that you see it's the better preserved, unfortunatly. The other has more pittings and the decoration is clear only on the lower part (the straight one).
Anyway I love it, it's time that I wait for one of this sword and this one had the right price
I like also the konda scabbard because it's decorated and the green paint, being old, add something magic to the whole piece.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Flavio

Hi Detlef!

The lobala is long circa 62 cm. The face that you see it's the better preserved, unfortunatly. The other has more pittings and the decoration is clear only on the lower part (the straight one).
Anyway I love it, it's time that I wait for one of this sword and this one had the right price

My one, shown in this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17386 is with 48,5 cm much shorter. Do you know if this is a sign for a different age or a different area?

[Congoblades]

Nice unusual Konda, very nice handle, I like it.
The Lobala is also nice, I think a bit younger than the Sajen's smaller and excellent piece.

[Flavio]

Hi Detlef!

here is a page from Tribal Arms Monographs n°2 you can see your example in pic. 55, mine in pic. 59 (or also in pic. 54). The one showed in pic. 55 it's before 1912. The tribes are the same.
The author (Christian Gosseau) says the only difference is in the decoration: LOBALA used "a round-headed hammer that produces circular, rather large stamps"; the NGBAKA and BONDJO used "an other type of hammer with a head carrying sometimes some short bulging lines gives smaller prints, often accompanied by short lines in Vs"
"Ngbaka, Bondjo and Lobala are names given to the part of the NGBAKA people installed on the right bank of the UBANGI, in former FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA"

I don't know if the dimensions are indicators of age

Regards
FLavio

[Flavio]

Originally Posted by Congoblades

Nice unusual Konda, very nice handle, I like it.
The Lobala is also nice, I think a bit younger than the Sajen's smaller and excellent piece.

Thank you! Yes, I also think that mine is a little bit younger

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Flavio

Hi Detlef!

here is a page from Tribal Arms Monographs n°2 you can see your example in pic. 55, mine in pic. 59 (or also in pic. 54). The one showed in pic. 55 it's before 1912. The tribes are the same.
The author (Christian Gosseau) says the only difference is in the decoration: LOBALA used "a round-headed hammer that produces circular, rather large stamps"; the NGBAKA and BONDJO used "an other type of hammer with a head carrying sometimes some short bulging lines gives smaller prints, often accompanied by short lines in Vs"
"Ngbaka, Bondjo and Lobala are names given to the part of the NGBAKA people installed on the right bank of the UBANGI, in former FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA"

I don't know if the dimensions are indicators of age

Regards
FLavio

Thank you very much for showing this plate from Gosseau, very informative!