It is a Recade, ceremonial axe of the Fon people from Benin. King's messengers carried them across the country and proclaimed king's orders. Recade was their mark of authority: their word was king's word.
A very similar arrangement was a golden Paiza, a square medallion given to the messengers of Chinghiz Khan. Everybody was obligated to assist them in any way, shape or form, they had a priority on fresh horses, ahead of everybody else, including military commanders and princes and disobedience to them carried death punishment.
Their closest contemporary analogue is the credentialising paper presented by a new ambassador to the local Foreign Minister. However, fresh horses are not included in the ceremony,
Aluminum implies 20 century, however Dahomey ( former and current Benin) is still a monarchy and who knows whether local kings rely on Recades more than on cell phones.
Last edited by ariel; 27th November 2021 at 02:46 AM.
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