New Mangbetu
 

3 new Mangbetu trumbash on my website :
http://lulef.free.fr/html/mangbetu_1.html

One with a rare ivory handle, another with a brass blade and the last with a specific trigger on the blade and special engravings.

Luc ;)

The ivory one is beautiful!

Lew

I agree with Lews observation on the ivory one...it is indeed very pretty!!
Any special significance I wonder?

I think these Mangbetu trumbash are extremely interesting as they seem almost true to form examples of the Egyptian khopsh. It is a fascinating thing to see such ethnographic weapons that must almost certainly derive from ancient iconography still used ceremonially in tribal cultures.

Jim that would be a very small pocket in a huge continent, if I read you correctly. A bit like Kukri and ancient Greeks . Why do more near neighbours not have these knives {Kukri included} if they were that knock out :D . Why should such isolated islands of people hold the design for evermore. It is rather like say any knife with a curve was either inspired by ancient Egypt or Greece. I think some people even today are sadly happy with that thought. :shrug:

MANY OF EARLY MANS IDEAS AND INVENTIONS ARE COPYED FROM NATURE. FISH SPINES,PORQUEPINE SPINES, MAMMAL TEETH, CLAWS AND TUSKS,SNAKE FANGS AND SHAPES, EAGLE BEAKS AS WELL AS HORNBILL AND MANY OTHERS. IF IT WORKED FOR THE ANIMAL MAN OBSERVED AND FEARED IT WOULD MAKE A GOOD WEAPON. IT WOULD SEEM MANKIND THINKS MUCH THE SAME THE WORLD OVER SO THE SAME IDEAS WOULD NO DOUBT OCCUR IN MANY PLACES AND AT MANY DIFFERENT TIMES. AFTER SOMETHING WAS COPYED FROM NATURE MAN WOULD CHANGE IT AND FIND NEW WAYS OF USING IT.

TO ME THESE PARTICULAR AFRICAN KNIVES LOOK LIKE THE BEAK OF SOME LARGE RAPTOR SOME EVEN HAVE 2 HOLES WHICH COULD POSSIBLY REPRESENT EYES. :shrug: DOES THIS TRIBE HAVE TRIBAL STORIES OR TOTUMS WITH AN EAGLE OR HAWK?
JUST MY THOUGHTS ON THEM I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THEM CONGRADULATIONS ON SOME NICE ONES. :D

Beak seems to be a good explanation, but who knows...
Better pics
Luc