iron spear indian ?

[colin henshaw]

From W O Oldman "Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographical Specimens" 1907 - listed as "Mendiland, used by Chief Lobo"

[weapons 27]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

From W O Oldman "Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographical Specimens" 1907 - listed as "Mendiland, used by Chief Lobo"

Thank you colin for your research...
so it is sierra leone

[Iain]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

From W O Oldman "Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographical Specimens" 1907 - listed as "Mendiland, used by Chief Lobo"

Great stuff Colin! Wonderful to have a basis when seeing this kind of blade and shaft design now.

I'm always amazed on the forum how someone seems to recognize almost anything!

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Iain

Great stuff Colin! Wonderful to have a basis when seeing this kind of blade and shaft design now.

I'm always amazed on the forum how someone seems to recognize almost anything!

Totally agree Iain!!!
It is fascinating to see how closely paralleled Indian and African arms can often be, and we well know a good number of these such as the haladie used in Sudan, deriving from Rajasthan origins and via Syria to N. Africa.

My first inclination on this spearhead would have been S. India due to the spaced collars on it, but in seeing the geometric linear decoration would have gone directly to Africa.

That particular Oldman reference, one precursor to Stones venerable work, has of course its own flaws in degree, despite being overall quite reliable.
I recall one item shown as a Tibetan short sword used as a reference to one same I acquired many years ago, and claimed from the British expedition there c. 1903? I later discovered it was in fact a Dahomean hwi and an identical example documented and provenanced in a Belgian museum from c. 1850.