2 African spears for ID please

katana · 2nd July 2010, 05:57 PM

Hi Gentlemen

,
acquired 2 more spears to add to the collection (it seems I am getting as obsessive with spears....as Lew is with Arm daggers

)

Both 'throwers' with inlaid brass (bronze)/copper inlay. (the longer leaf headed spear has both copper and brass /bronze ) Both have spade (chisel) butts. Interestingly the wooden shaft, each end, is 'worked' so that the 'side' opening of the metal socket (where the socket edges are not closed) is basically 'filled' with wood. This would prevent the shaft turning within the 'socket'. A feature I have never seen before.

They both have some age, suspect early 20th C ......(I am not responsible for the attempted cleaning ......

As usual I would be grateful for any information.....origins, comments etc

Kind Regards David

Luc LEFEBVRE · 3rd July 2010, 08:32 PM

Hausa/Haoussa ?

Iain · 3rd July 2010, 09:21 PM

Could be Hausa as Luc pointed out or Fula or Tuareg. I'm not familiar enough with the decorative markings to make the distinction but definitely the bottom one is what the Tuareg call a "tarda" as opposed to the "allar" which is entirely metal.

katana · 4th July 2010, 04:22 PM

Thank you both, Luc and Ispn, for your input

According to Spring 'African arms and armour' ...."in addition a javelin, tarda with iron head and wooden shaft was reserved to the Imrad and Iklan classes only......"

The Imrad were the vassel class (immediately below the Ihaggaren ...the Aristocratic class) The Iklan were ....."composed of negroid peoples who over many centuries had been captured in warfare or bought as slaves....."

Kind Regards David

Tim Simmons · 4th July 2010, 08:10 PM

Nice spears David. They could be Hausa. I am not sure. They could also be from Central Africa as in the South Sudan. The one without a central ridge I could easily say Hausa but not so much so with the other. I myself associate the central ridge with a more easterly orign. One thing is that your spears do have a wider shoe {butt end} which does seem to be a more westerly thing. Anyway here is a picture of something similar I have. Perhaps a little longer, the white stick is 48 inches or 122cm long. They do appear a little crude for hausa work?

katana · 4th July 2010, 11:32 PM

Hi Tim,
thanks for the info

and pics (very nice example).

You have reminded me that I have not included measurements

.

The spear with the spiral decoration is 183 cms long (72 inches), the other is 180 cms (approx. 71 inches).

Regards David

PS Tim do you think your spear was a status object. It is quite large (heavy) for a javelin type 'thrower' so perhaps functioned similar to a pike, or a lance from horse/camel back.

katana · 9th July 2010, 05:55 PM

Cleaned most of the black/rust layer to show the spiralling better (personally I would have been more cautious about removing so much patina.....but the previous over-zealous, partial, clean forced my hand)

Regards David

.

2nd July 2010, 05:57 PM	#1
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	2 African spears for ID please Hi Gentlemen , acquired 2 more spears to add to the collection (it seems I am getting as obsessive with spears....as Lew is with Arm daggers ) Both 'throwers' with inlaid brass (bronze)/copper inlay. (the longer leaf headed spear has both copper and brass /bronze ) Both have spade (chisel) butts. Interestingly the wooden shaft, each end, is 'worked' so that the 'side' opening of the metal socket (where the socket edges are not closed) is basically 'filled' with wood. This would prevent the shaft turning within the 'socket'. A feature I have never seen before. They both have some age, suspect early 20th C ......(I am not responsible for the attempted cleaning ...... As usual I would be grateful for any information.....origins, comments etc Kind Regards David Attached Images

4th July 2010, 08:10 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,794	Nice spears David. They could be Hausa. I am not sure. They could also be from Central Africa as in the South Sudan. The one without a central ridge I could easily say Hausa but not so much so with the other. I myself associate the central ridge with a more easterly orign. One thing is that your spears do have a wider shoe {butt end} which does seem to be a more westerly thing. Anyway here is a picture of something similar I have. Perhaps a little longer, the white stick is 48 inches or 122cm long. They do appear a little crude for hausa work? Attached Images

9th July 2010, 05:55 PM	#7
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Cleaned most of the black/rust layer to show the spiralling better (personally I would have been more cautious about removing so much patina.....but the previous over-zealous, partial, clean forced my hand) Regards David . Attached Images

3rd July 2010, 08:32 PM	#2
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 472	Hausa/Haoussa ?

3rd July 2010, 09:21 PM	#3
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Could be Hausa as Luc pointed out or Fula or Tuareg. I'm not familiar enough with the decorative markings to make the distinction but definitely the bottom one is what the Tuareg call a "tarda" as opposed to the "allar" which is entirely metal.

4th July 2010, 04:22 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Thank you both, Luc and Ispn, for your input According to Spring 'African arms and armour' ...."in addition a javelin, tarda with iron head and wooden shaft was reserved to the Imrad and Iklan classes only......" The Imrad were the vassel class (immediately below the Ihaggaren ...the Aristocratic class) The Iklan were ....."composed of negroid peoples who over many centuries had been captured in warfare or bought as slaves....." Kind Regards David

4th July 2010, 11:32 PM	#6
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Hi Tim, thanks for the info and pics (very nice example). You have reminded me that I have not included measurements . The spear with the spiral decoration is 183 cms long (72 inches), the other is 180 cms (approx. 71 inches). Regards David PS Tim do you think your spear was a status object. It is quite large (heavy) for a javelin type 'thrower' so perhaps functioned similar to a pike, or a lance from horse/camel back.