Iklwa!

[kronckew]

i've been keeping my eye opens for a nice iklwa for a few years now, never found one i liked and could afford at the time. until today, this one sprung out of ebay as i was doing a half-hearted ebay search after checking my watch lists. i somehow managed to win it in the last few seconds of rapid fire bidding war.

per the vendor:

Beautiful and classic example of a nineteenth-century Zulu stabbing spear, iklwa, with typical short, broad blade and thick haft. Blade is 14.5 ins long, 2 ins wide, nice age patina, some irregularity of the edges due to sharpening. Overall length is 38ins. There are two nice bands of brass wire binding, one fixing the blade to the haft. Nicely balanced piece which clearly meant business!

This piece was collected in Nongoma in central Zululand (northern KwaZulu-Natal) a few years ago.

it'll join my iwesa (22in.) that i got earlier this week. i blame the recent TV showing of Shaka Zulu.