Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 21st September 2005, 03:18 AM

I HAVE SEEN PILES OF AFRICAN WEAPONS IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE WORLD OVER THE YEARS AND MOST APPEARED TO BE LOW GRADE RECENT EXAMPLES MADE IN TRADITIONAL FASHION. SOME APPEARED TO HAVE OLER BLADES WITH A NEWER POORLY MADE HANDLE ARTIFICIALLY AGED. THERE ARE ALSO MANY EXAMPLES THAT HAVE HAD CARVED HEADS FOR POMMELS AND FANCY SCABBARDS THAT DON'T FIT WITH THE ORIGINAL FORMS BUT APPEAL MORE TO TOURISTS. I SUSPECT THAT NATIVE PRODUCTION STILL GOES ON IN SEVERAL COUNTRYS NOTEABALY THE CONGO AND ZAIRE. THERE WERE TONS OF STUFF AT THE FLEA MARKETS IN SEVERAL PLACES MOST NOTEABLY PARIS FRANCE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT EVEN SHOWS UP IN TUSON FOR THE BIG GEM AND MINERAL SHOW AS WELL AS FLEA MARKETS IN TEXAS. GOOD QUALITY AUTHENTIC AFRICAN SWORDS ARE TO BE FOUND BUT ARE MORE RARE AND EXPENSIVE THAN THE OTHER MORE RECENT ONES. IT IS OFTEN POSSIBLE TO PICK UP GOOD NEWER REPRESENTATIONS OF SEVERAL INTERESTING FORMS FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR ONE OF THE REAL OLD ONES. IF YOU CAN FIND A HONEST DEALER IN THE NEWER STUFF WHO SELLS IT FOR WHAT IT IS INSTEAD OF A RARE ANTIQUE, YOU CAN MAKE A NICE DISPLAY. I SUPPOSE THEY ARE ETHINOGRAPHIC CONSIDERING WHERE THEY ARE MADE AND ARE MOSTLY FOR EXPORT TO WHERE THE TOURISTS CAN BUY THEM INSTEAD OF FOR WAR OR CEREMONY AND OTHER OLDER TRADITIONAL USES.

21st September 2005, 03:18 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I HAVE SEEN PILES OF AFRICAN WEAPONS IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE WORLD OVER THE YEARS AND MOST APPEARED TO BE LOW GRADE RECENT EXAMPLES MADE IN TRADITIONAL FASHION. SOME APPEARED TO HAVE OLER BLADES WITH A NEWER POORLY MADE HANDLE ARTIFICIALLY AGED. THERE ARE ALSO MANY EXAMPLES THAT HAVE HAD CARVED HEADS FOR POMMELS AND FANCY SCABBARDS THAT DON'T FIT WITH THE ORIGINAL FORMS BUT APPEAL MORE TO TOURISTS. I SUSPECT THAT NATIVE PRODUCTION STILL GOES ON IN SEVERAL COUNTRYS NOTEABALY THE CONGO AND ZAIRE. THERE WERE TONS OF STUFF AT THE FLEA MARKETS IN SEVERAL PLACES MOST NOTEABLY PARIS FRANCE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT EVEN SHOWS UP IN TUSON FOR THE BIG GEM AND MINERAL SHOW AS WELL AS FLEA MARKETS IN TEXAS. GOOD QUALITY AUTHENTIC AFRICAN SWORDS ARE TO BE FOUND BUT ARE MORE RARE AND EXPENSIVE THAN THE OTHER MORE RECENT ONES. IT IS OFTEN POSSIBLE TO PICK UP GOOD NEWER REPRESENTATIONS OF SEVERAL INTERESTING FORMS FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR ONE OF THE REAL OLD ONES. IF YOU CAN FIND A HONEST DEALER IN THE NEWER STUFF WHO SELLS IT FOR WHAT IT IS INSTEAD OF A RARE ANTIQUE, YOU CAN MAKE A NICE DISPLAY. I SUPPOSE THEY ARE ETHINOGRAPHIC CONSIDERING WHERE THEY ARE MADE AND ARE MOSTLY FOR EXPORT TO WHERE THE TOURISTS CAN BUY THEM INSTEAD OF FOR WAR OR CEREMONY AND OTHER OLDER TRADITIONAL USES.