Need help to identify a Congo (?) dagger

[drac2k]

Great item. By the taper on the bottom of the blade, could this be a repurposed spearhead made into a sword? It was not an uncommon practice throughout countless societies to utilize captured weapons for the victor's needs.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by drac2k

Great item. By the taper on the bottom of the blade, could this be a repurposed spearhead made into a sword? It was not an uncommon practice throughout countless societies to utilize captured weapons for the victor's needs.

Hello Drac2k,

A good hint and a possibility. But which spear head would fit?

Regards,
Detlef

[Duccio]

Beautiful! Congratulations, interesting purchase.
The attribution to the Lengola people would seem correct to me too, but one could perhaps also evaluate the Lega people as a candidate: Lengola knives often have a more rounded shape on the sides.
I am less convinced by the possibility that it is a spearhead fixed to a knife handle, for a very simple reason: African spearheads are almost always "female", while knives always have a tang that enters the handle. .. doesn't it seem to you too?

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Duccio

Beautiful! Congratulations, interesting purchase.
The attribution to the Lengola people would seem correct to me too, but one could perhaps also evaluate the Lega people as a candidate: Lengola knives often have a more rounded shape on the sides.
I am less convinced by the possibility that it is a spearhead fixed to a knife handle, for a very simple reason: African spearheads are almost always "female", while knives always have a tang that enters the handle. .. doesn't it seem to you too?

Thank you very much Duccio!
I have also contacted Wolf-Dieter Miersch who also stated that it's Lega knife and since the Lengola people are neighbours it will be one of this both possibilities.
Here is a Lega knife from his site: http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?9-lega-sword-56-cm which I've seen by my research but was jarred by the small iron pin in up from the handle!
He stated that these knives come with this pin but also without.
And yes, you are correct, African knives have nearly always a tang.

Best regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Here a little bit more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lega_people

[Mefidk]

This looks right to me too. I found a couple more examples of knives of this form but without the figural hilt. Both examples have that same hour-glass shape, although neither are an exact match, one is also wound with copper wire.
These two examples (Fatal beauty, Chinese/English version figs 312-313) are attributed to Lega, Leka, Mituku, Lengola and Songola.
Blades look the same though.

[Sajen]

Yes, all this are neighbouring ethnos, here another picture Wolf-Dieter send me before.