Ornamental blade from the Belgian Congo (by Maria Melendez 2017)
Throughout
history weapons served various purposes as implements of war and hunting
tools. They were also employed as symbols by different cultures to
communicate certain messages. The ornamental blade shown here is exemplary of
the various styles of decorative or status-related weapons created in the
Congo. This item measures 41.5 cm long. The blade is 6.9 cm wide, 18.8
cm at its widest. Towards the
bottom the blade flares out into two points. It is most likely
iron, which corresponds with its silver color and the popularity of the metal in
Central Africa in previous centuries (Anon. 2017, 2; Kriger 1992). This
theory is upheld by the dark color of the decorative carved lines running
the length of the object’s center (Anon. 2017, 2). The wooden handle
is enveloped in a long, thin strip of metal. Its light brown, reddish hue hints at a copper alloy as its identity. The
catalogue card declares it to be brass. Due to the flatness of both metal
portions it could be surmised that they were hammered into shape. The catalogue confirms this possibility.
Carving detail on blade (by Maria Melendez 2017)
Brass strip wrapped around wooden handle and held in place by rivets (by Maria Melendez 2017)
This object shows
signs of damage in the metal components and the wooden handle. The blade
itself has dark brown spots of inactive corrosion. One of the points at the
bottom is bent upward. Part of the brass strip coiled around the handle is
misshapen, as if it was dropped or pulled. In this area a fragment of the
handle has broken off. There are no clues of previously performed treatments. The
condition of the whole is good and stable. It does not require urgent
attention.
Portion of brass strip that has been deformed (by Maria Melendez 2017)
Corrosion stains on blade (by Maria Melendez 2017)
Wooden handle with portion missing and misshapen brass strip (by Maria Melendez 2017)
Bent tip of blade (by Maria Melendez 2017)
This type of
weapon is known as an ingóndá knife and is representative of a person’s title
and authority in a society (possibly a chief or other high-ranking figure). While
a similar shape had been used for hunting, this model’s blunt edges reinforce
the idea that its use was ornamental. How this object was
incorporated into the Ethnographic Collections is unclear yet its alleged
provenance, the Belgian Congo, points to certain likelihoods. Considering the
colonial context of this location during the 19th and 20th
century it’s feasible that this ingóndá was taken out of the Congo by a
missionary, scholar, or government official and sold or gifted in England. In
fact, Daryll Forde, British anthropologist and founder of the Ethnographic Collections, worked in this region of Africa and given the little
information provided by the record it is possible that it belonged to him. The
historic, aesthetic, and technical values have always formed part of its
significance; its social value, regarding the symbolism of status, has been
stripped from it. The main stakeholders evidently are the people of Congo
and the descendants of the object’s creators.
Kriger, C.
(1992). Ironworking in 19th century Central Africa. Doctor of
Philosophy. York University. Available: http://search.proquest.com/docview/304019201/ [Accessed 28 March 2017]
Anonymous.
Metal Identification. King Saud University. Available: http://fac.ksu.edu.sa/sites/default/files/Metal%20Identification%20Ready%20_unprotected.pdf
[Accessed 4 April 2017]
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