Not a Zulu assegai - so what is it?

[Battara]

Greetings folks,

A friend took this picture in Ripley's Believe or Not Museum. It is attributed to the Zulu as the stabbing spear, assegai, that they used. However, I have seen assegai's used for stabbing and this is not it (if I am wrong, please correct me). To me the shape of the shaft is all wrong as well as the length and shape of the spear head.

So what African tribe and what type of spear is it?


Many thanks in advance.

[Tim Simmons]

Not typically Zulu much further north , Shonaland and possibly even further north.

[kronckew]

everything is wrong, the short head, the long exposed & ring embellished tang, the lack of the zulu 'pinch at the head/tang transition, the (wrong) wood haft is not tapered from the tang joint to the hilt end, no flare. and the carving of the serpent is atypical. central africa ceremonial item, ie. 'fantasy' or for those who travel.

in the words of the immortal expert, mik 'crocodile' dundee,
"that's not an iklwa, THIS is an iklwa!"

[Jim McDougall]

What is immortal Wayne, is your classic humor!!!
You and Mel Brooks!
Rock on!!! and thank you for the chuckles!

[Battara]

Kronckew thank you for the picture - this is the iklwa I was trying to describe to my friend.

Thank you everyone else. Not my area so I wanted to know where it came from.

I will show this thread to my friend.

[kronckew]

lots of other info available on zulu arms and the zulu wars here on the forum (via search).

[Rick]

So, in Ripley's Believe it or not museum I guess this must fall under the 'not' category.

I'm struck by the resemblance of this spearhead to a pair of shears.

[Battara]

Oh yeah. I've had to correct museums before.............