is this a common dagger?

fearn · 6th March 2005, 06:45 PM

As with everyone else, my first impression was "African, but I've never seen anything like it before." My second impression was, "the weird things about this are a) the rigid triangularity of the blade and handle, which has a European flavor, and b) the primitive nature of the hilt figurings. They're kind of crude, and it looks the decorations could have been made almost by two sets of leather punches."

The second impression suggests cult work, but my suggestion is that we expand our possibilities to the African diaspora, especially Haitian Voudou and Brazilian Candomble. Either would account for the Yoruba influence (twin figures and snakes), and also a European influence (geometry). I've never seen anything like this out of Haiti or Brazil, but couldn't they be possibilities?

I'd also suggest that the knife might be relatively recent 20th century stuff.

Fearn

6th March 2005, 06:45 PM	#11
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	As with everyone else, my first impression was "African, but I've never seen anything like it before." My second impression was, "the weird things about this are a) the rigid triangularity of the blade and handle, which has a European flavor, and b) the primitive nature of the hilt figurings. They're kind of crude, and it looks the decorations could have been made almost by two sets of leather punches." The second impression suggests cult work, but my suggestion is that we expand our possibilities to the African diaspora, especially Haitian Voudou and Brazilian Candomble. Either would account for the Yoruba influence (twin figures and snakes), and also a European influence (geometry). I've never seen anything like this out of Haiti or Brazil, but couldn't they be possibilities? I'd also suggest that the knife might be relatively recent 20th century stuff. Fearn