Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


1052 - African Spear with Spiral Wrapped Blade and End Piece Ferrules

The narrow double edged blade measures 18¼ inches (47 cm) from where its tang inserts into the wooden shaft. The surface of the blade is darkened except for wear over the high points and the facets either side of a low mid rib are slightly concave and retain evidence of hammer marks. The end of the wooden shaft where the tang of the spearhead inserts has been wrapped with a spirally wound strip of iron. The shaft has periodic interruptions of its coarse grain and could well be bamboo. The bottom end has a spatulate chisel end with its tang inserted into the shaft and also secured by a spirally wound strip of iron. One observer familiar with Africa has suggested origin in north Zimbabwe or south Zambia with a tribal affiliation of Shona or Ndebele. Overall length is 63 inches (160 cm) with a weight of 26¼ ounces (745 grams).




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