African sword, Unusual Handle, Akokonan? or?

[JoeCanada42]

more photos ..

[JoeCanada42]

more photos...

[JoeCanada42]

images for thought

[JoeCanada42]

My theory in notes..

[shayde78]

Very interesting theory. Would explain many of the stylistic motifs on many African weapons, and would establish a common symbolic language across seemingly disparate designs.

This is a quote from numerous websites:" "The hen treads on her chicks, but she does not kill them." This represents the ideal nature of parents, being both protective and corrective"

An interesting philosophy to be applied to weapons. A ruler (of a state, tribe, village, or family) might use force to protect their own and or maintain order.

[Tim Simmons]

A very interesting piece, I have been searching all the books I have for anything similar but have found nothing. However I could add some more speculation. The blade looks like one of those long arm knife blade but I do not think it is or related to them. The picture {panga na visu. Kurzwaffen, geschmiedete Kultgegenstande und Schilde aus Afrika. Manfred A Zirngibl & Alexander Kubetz. Publisher HePelo Verlag 2009} I post here might be a pointer. The scabbard has the look and construction of weapons from the Cameroon and western borders. The hilts in the picture could be related and perhaps your piece maybe some variant as most often with African pieces you are always looking at large areas of peoples with much crossover of culture and language. Worth a look anyway.

[Duccio]

...every morning in Africa, as soon as the sun rises, a blacksmith finds a way to make a mysterious sword, for the sole purpose of driving some Western collectors crazy ...