3 Spears + 1 Spearhead for I.D. Please.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 05:48 PM

Hi Guys,
Picked up these spears and spearhead recently. I think I know what they are from scouring the Forum but would like the opinion of the more knowledgeable. I will post each separately in this thread but here is an overview plus the spearhead. All the items were in the same condition as the spearhead when I got them so please excuse the slight 'overcleaning' I didn't have much option as they needed rescuing from the dreaded 'brown stuff'.
Thanks for your interest.
Regards,
Norman.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 05:50 PM

No.1 Head and binding. Head 9 inches total length 49 inches, head has both concave and convex faces on both sides.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 05:51 PM

No.2 Head and Binding. Head 13 1/2 inches overall 52 1/2 inches.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 05:54 PM

No 3 Head and Binding. Head 13 1/2 inches overall 53 inches.

Atlantia · 22nd January 2013, 05:56 PM

Nice, Zulu I'd say.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 06:02 PM

Hi Gene,
My thoughts too, I also think 19thC. Came from a country house up here, owners in the Victorian age were a Lt-Colonel 4th Hussars succeeded by a Captain 10th Hussars.
My Regards,
Norman.

Norman McCormick · 22nd January 2013, 08:19 PM

Hi,
No. 1) Would appear to be an iKhebezane.

No. 2) Iklwa or unKhwa.

No. 3) Iklwa or unKhwa.

If anybody has got any other ideas, would like to confirm the above or has any idea of dating please let me know.
Regards,
Norman.

colin henshaw · 23rd January 2013, 01:17 PM

Nice old spears, they could well be Zulu from the 19th century. However, it should be borne in mind that this type of spear was also used by other tribal groupings in the area, such as Swazi and Matabele...

Regards.

Norman McCormick · 23rd January 2013, 05:15 PM

Hi Colin,
Many thanks for your insight. I take it there is no definitive aspect of spears from this region that would tie them directly to a specific group or is there an aspect that would make an item more likely to belong to one tribal group or another? The small country house estate that these came from was in the same family, I think from the 17thC, and was only sold recently. It is certainly more than likely both from personal inspection of the spears and the provenance that these are indeed 19thC objects. Thanks for your interest.
My Regards,
Norman,

colin henshaw · 24th January 2013, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi Colin,
Many thanks for your insight. I take it there is no definitive aspect of spears from this region that would tie them directly to a specific group or is there an aspect that would make an item more likely to belong to one tribal group or another? The small country house estate that these came from was in the same family, I think from the 17thC, and was only sold recently. It is certainly more than likely both from personal inspection of the spears and the provenance that these are indeed 19thC objects. Thanks for your interest.
My Regards,
Norman,

Hi Norman

I don't know of any way to distinguish spears between those Nguni tribal groups in South East Africa, although I've read somewhere that spears with barbs are usually Basuto in origin ? The Matabele were in fact an offshoot of the Zulu that moved northwards. Spears from the Mashona are identifiable, however, often with a metal spike to the butt and sometimes a lot of wirework.

Regards
Colin

Norman McCormick · 24th January 2013, 07:44 PM

Hi Colin,
Many thanks for the extra info, much appreciated.

My Regards,
Norman.

Norman McCormick · 26th January 2013, 02:36 PM

Hi,
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=iklwa A very informative and descriptive thread on the various types of Zulu spears.
Regards,
Norman

Norman McCormick · 27th January 2013, 05:09 PM

Hi,
For information. 19thC Zulu? spearhead now with rust removed, blade section 12 1/4 inches, tang 5 1/2 inches.
Regards,
Norman.

22nd January 2013, 05:48 PM	#1
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	3 Spears + 1 Spearhead for I.D. Please. Hi Guys, Picked up these spears and spearhead recently. I think I know what they are from scouring the Forum but would like the opinion of the more knowledgeable. I will post each separately in this thread but here is an overview plus the spearhead. All the items were in the same condition as the spearhead when I got them so please excuse the slight 'overcleaning' I didn't have much option as they needed rescuing from the dreaded 'brown stuff'. Thanks for your interest. Regards, Norman. Attached Images

22nd January 2013, 05:50 PM	#2
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	No.1 Head and binding. Head 9 inches total length 49 inches, head has both concave and convex faces on both sides. Attached Images

22nd January 2013, 05:51 PM	#3
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	No.2 Head and Binding. Head 13 1/2 inches overall 52 1/2 inches. Attached Images

22nd January 2013, 05:54 PM	#4
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	No 3 Head and Binding. Head 13 1/2 inches overall 53 inches. Attached Images

22nd January 2013, 08:19 PM	#7
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi, No. 1) Would appear to be an iKhebezane. No. 2) Iklwa or unKhwa. No. 3) Iklwa or unKhwa. If anybody has got any other ideas, would like to confirm the above or has any idea of dating please let me know. Regards, Norman. Last edited by Norman McCormick; 22nd January 2013 at 08:30 PM.

22nd January 2013, 05:56 PM	#5
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Nice, Zulu I'd say.

22nd January 2013, 06:02 PM	#6
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi Gene, My thoughts too, I also think 19thC. Came from a country house up here, owners in the Victorian age were a Lt-Colonel 4th Hussars succeeded by a Captain 10th Hussars. My Regards, Norman.

23rd January 2013, 01:17 PM	#8
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Nice old spears, they could well be Zulu from the 19th century. However, it should be borne in mind that this type of spear was also used by other tribal groupings in the area, such as Swazi and Matabele... Regards.

23rd January 2013, 05:15 PM	#9
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi Colin, Many thanks for your insight. I take it there is no definitive aspect of spears from this region that would tie them directly to a specific group or is there an aspect that would make an item more likely to belong to one tribal group or another? The small country house estate that these came from was in the same family, I think from the 17thC, and was only sold recently. It is certainly more than likely both from personal inspection of the spears and the provenance that these are indeed 19thC objects. Thanks for your interest. My Regards, Norman, Last edited by Norman McCormick; 23rd January 2013 at 06:25 PM.

24th January 2013, 07:44 PM	#11
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi Colin, Many thanks for the extra info, much appreciated. My Regards, Norman.

26th January 2013, 02:36 PM	#12
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi, http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=iklwa A very informative and descriptive thread on the various types of Zulu spears. Regards, Norman

27th January 2013, 05:09 PM	#13
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,601	Hi, For information. 19thC Zulu? spearhead now with rust removed, blade section 12 1/4 inches, tang 5 1/2 inches. Regards, Norman. Attached Images