Small African Ax for ID

Bill M · 1st May 2005, 07:31 PM

This is about 21" long. I like the way the ax comes out of her mouth. I do wonder about what appears to be tacks on each side of her face just past the eyes. These look more recent than the rest. The patina seems very good.

Flavio · 1st May 2005, 10:52 PM

Hello Bill. You have a very beautiful Luba axe from Congo. Few times I have seen entire figures on the handle. Normally only the head is carved. Great!!

tom hyle · 1st May 2005, 11:30 PM

Nice. The wire appears to be of industrial origin. The tack is of a type commonly seen a cheap new version now, but such are a copy of an older type, so I can't really say. The wire being industrial doesn't mean it's new, of course. Old native African wire I've seen is forged, not drawn, so it's quite distinquishable, but wire was a popular early trade good from modern Europe.

1st May 2005, 07:31 PM	#1
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Small African Ax for ID This is about 21" long. I like the way the ax comes out of her mouth. I do wonder about what appears to be tacks on each side of her face just past the eyes. These look more recent than the rest. The patina seems very good. Attached Images

1st May 2005, 10:52 PM	#2
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hello Bill. You have a very beautiful Luba axe from Congo. Few times I have seen entire figures on the handle. Normally only the head is carved. Great!!

1st May 2005, 11:30 PM	#3
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Nice. The wire appears to be of industrial origin. The tack is of a type commonly seen a cheap new version now, but such are a copy of an older type, so I can't really say. The wire being industrial doesn't mean it's new, of course. Old native African wire I've seen is forged, not drawn, so it's quite distinquishable, but wire was a popular early trade good from modern Europe.