Knife
Mangbetu
Description
Subject Matter:
The distinctive curved and pierced blade suggests that this knife was made by the Mangbetu peoples. Its shape made it ideal to be balanced over the shoulder, or carried by hand, and elaborately decorated knives often signified the status and prestige of their owners among Mangbetu communities.
References Cited:
Hurst, Norman. 1997. Ngola: The Weapon as Authority, Identity, and Ritual Object in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge, MA: Hurst Gallery.
Physical Description:
A knife with a curved blade that has two small holes near the bottom of the blade. There is a horizontal bar on the shaft, downward angled spurs above the wood block, and a cylindrical handle.
Usage Rights:
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