Found in someone's stable

[Freddy]

Yes, I was lucky yesterday

All the items were rusty, but still in good order.

Here is the double execution knife from the Lobala, Ngbaka or Bondjo after gentle cleaning.

The Congolese name for such a sword is : Bango or Bwagogambanza. They were used as luxury weapons for notables and chiefs. The Europeans saw in the form of these blades the representation of a person, with 'arms' and the small circle of dots as 'nipples'.

The blade shows an incised pattern on both sides. On one of the photos, you can also see the 'nipples', just at the beginning of the 'arms'.

The handle is somewhat small (for my hand, anyway) and made out of wood. At the bottom it's embellished with some nails. There's also a metal 'loop' which goes through the handle. As far as I can see, it's the original one. There is some insect damage (small holes), but it's treated.

Measurements :

Total length : 60 cm
length of handle : approx. 12 cm
width of the arms : 21,5 cm
width of blade : 6,2 cm