Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


178- African Songye (Songe) Axe with Wooden Haft

A fairly basic Songye hand axe (hatchet) with mildly raised sides flaring out in width and tapering down in thickness to an arc-shaped cutting edge. Eight circular perforations in an array decorate a blade mostly with a dark patina although rubbed to brightness on the raised part of the sides. The dark wooden haft is bulbous where it extends beyond the through insertion of the tang of the blade and shows a circular depression on each face in this area. The haft then narrows towards the grip area before flaring out. From its insertion into the haft, the blade is 6 inches (15.3 cm) long with the arced edge measuring 5 inches (13 cm). Overall length along the axis of the haft is 15½ inches (39.5 cm) with a weight of 15 ounces (434 grams).




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