African Tribal Gear: Tribe? Circa? Plz Help Ident...

VANDOO · 22nd May 2006, 02:30 AM

THE THREE ITEMS ARE PROBABLY ZULU THE SHIELD CERTIANLY IS. THE ZULU SPEARS ARE SHORT AND USUALLY HAVE A BIGGER BUTT END TO THE SHAFT TO FACILITATE THRUSTING AND RETERIVAL OF THE SPEAR. I COULDN'T SEE THE END OF YOUR SPEAR OR TELL WHAT WAS WRAPED AROUND THE FORTE BEHIND THE BLADE. AS POINTED OUT FANCY WIRE WORK WAS OFTEN USED ON ZULU SPEARS DURING A CERTIAN PERIOD. THERE IS A FAIRLY WIDE RANGE IN ZULU GEAR AS THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS AND TRIBAL GROUPS INVOLVED SUCH AS THOSE WHO WERE THE ONES WHO STARTED THE ZULU EMPIRE,THOSE WHO JOINED AND THOSE WHO WERE CONQURED. THERE WERE ALSO DIFFERENT RANKS FOR WARRIORS TO OBTAIN AND THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTERMENTS THEY WERE ALLOWED AS THEY ADVANCED.

THE EARLIER SHIELDS WERE LARGER PERHAPS TWO TO A COW HIDE LATER ONES MIGHT BE 4 TO ONE COW HIDE. THE SIZE SEEMED TO DECREASE AS THE EMPIRE GREW PROBABLY DUE TO THE NUMBER OF WARRIORS AND THE VALUE OF COWS. JUDGEING FROM WHAT I CAN SEE OF YOUR EXAMPLE IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE 4 TO ONE SIZE AND DUE TO THE CONDITION AND SIZE WELL AFTER THE TIME OF SHAKA AND THE ZULU WARS. DUE TO THE WAY IT IS CUT AND FOLDED ON THE BACK IT LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE OLD TRADITIONAL WAY. IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO GIVE A DATE EVEN IF I HAD IT ON HAND SO I WON'T GUESS.

THE KNOBKERRY IS ALSO IMPOSIBLE FOR ME TO TELL MUCH ABOUT, IT IS THE PROPER FORM FOR THOSE USED BY ZULU TRIBES AND IF IT HAS A GOOD PATINA MAY BE OLDER THAN THE SHIELD. IF THE THREE ITEMS CAME TOGETHER AS A SET AND THE SPEAR BUTT AND WIRE WRAP ARE PRESENT I WOULD SAY CLASSIFY THEM AS ZULU AND PERHAPS FROM THE SAME TIME. THERE ARE THOSE WITH MUCH MORE KNOWLEGE ON ZULU ITEMS AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU MUCH BETTER INFORMATION. GOOD LUCK

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

22nd May 2006, 02:30 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE THREE ITEMS ARE PROBABLY ZULU THE SHIELD CERTIANLY IS. THE ZULU SPEARS ARE SHORT AND USUALLY HAVE A BIGGER BUTT END TO THE SHAFT TO FACILITATE THRUSTING AND RETERIVAL OF THE SPEAR. I COULDN'T SEE THE END OF YOUR SPEAR OR TELL WHAT WAS WRAPED AROUND THE FORTE BEHIND THE BLADE. AS POINTED OUT FANCY WIRE WORK WAS OFTEN USED ON ZULU SPEARS DURING A CERTIAN PERIOD. THERE IS A FAIRLY WIDE RANGE IN ZULU GEAR AS THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS AND TRIBAL GROUPS INVOLVED SUCH AS THOSE WHO WERE THE ONES WHO STARTED THE ZULU EMPIRE,THOSE WHO JOINED AND THOSE WHO WERE CONQURED. THERE WERE ALSO DIFFERENT RANKS FOR WARRIORS TO OBTAIN AND THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTERMENTS THEY WERE ALLOWED AS THEY ADVANCED. THE EARLIER SHIELDS WERE LARGER PERHAPS TWO TO A COW HIDE LATER ONES MIGHT BE 4 TO ONE COW HIDE. THE SIZE SEEMED TO DECREASE AS THE EMPIRE GREW PROBABLY DUE TO THE NUMBER OF WARRIORS AND THE VALUE OF COWS. JUDGEING FROM WHAT I CAN SEE OF YOUR EXAMPLE IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE 4 TO ONE SIZE AND DUE TO THE CONDITION AND SIZE WELL AFTER THE TIME OF SHAKA AND THE ZULU WARS. DUE TO THE WAY IT IS CUT AND FOLDED ON THE BACK IT LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE OLD TRADITIONAL WAY. IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO GIVE A DATE EVEN IF I HAD IT ON HAND SO I WON'T GUESS. THE KNOBKERRY IS ALSO IMPOSIBLE FOR ME TO TELL MUCH ABOUT, IT IS THE PROPER FORM FOR THOSE USED BY ZULU TRIBES AND IF IT HAS A GOOD PATINA MAY BE OLDER THAN THE SHIELD. IF THE THREE ITEMS CAME TOGETHER AS A SET AND THE SPEAR BUTT AND WIRE WRAP ARE PRESENT I WOULD SAY CLASSIFY THEM AS ZULU AND PERHAPS FROM THE SAME TIME. THERE ARE THOSE WITH MUCH MORE KNOWLEGE ON ZULU ITEMS AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU MUCH BETTER INFORMATION. GOOD LUCK