A Fine and Fascinating SE African YAO Dagger

[RSWORD]

https://research.britishmuseum.org/r...es=true&page=1

https://research.britishmuseum.org/r...es=true&page=1

https://research.britishmuseum.org/r...es=true&page=1

https://research.britishmuseum.org/r...es=true&page=1

https://research.britishmuseum.org/r...es=true&page=2

The British Museum has a number of Yao knife examples that were collected in Malawi/Mozambique from the late 19th to early 20th century. The first link shows a Yao knife with scabbard of very similar style to Charles example. The 2nd link shows another Yao knife with similar blade. Note the crude fuller on both examples. The next two links show Yao pipes. Look at the zig zag carving which is the same as on Charles scabbard. This zig zag carving is found in East Africa on a number of items. The final example is a fly whisk with ivory handle to show that quality ivory carvings can come from this region. The scabbard style, which is unlike anything from SE Asia or China but very similar to the British Museum examples, along with the silver ornament on the scabbard which is very similar to African bracelets and then the crude blade which is similar to the British Museum example, all point to East Africa as an origin for this knife. SE Asian and Chinese minority examples don't tend to have blades this crude. The similarities are much more in line with these documented African examples than any SE Asian or Chinese minority knife I have ever seen.