Zulu Patina question? Looks very recent.

Bill M · 11th September 2006, 09:08 PM

I just received this Zulu axe. The seller seems to be very knowledgeable about Zulu pieces. He sells a lot of them and has a 100% feedback.

He says

"Offered for sale from my private collection of Zulu artefacts is this magnificent antique Zulu axe (called ‘isizenze’ by the Zulus). The axe was collected from a Zulu hut in the battlefields area of Zululand, South Africa, and dates to the early 1900s.

"This stunning axe consists of a semi-circular metal blade riveted to a metal tang which is set into the long wooden haft. The wooden haft is carved from a single piece and the patina is virtually black from age. (my bold face) The haft measures about 38.5 inches long. The blade is about 6 inches in length and 3.5 inches deep. The metal blade is in good condition with surface pitting and a rusty/dark patina from the age of the piece.

"The axe was collected in the Rorke’s Drift/Isandlwana battlefields area of Zululand. It looks magnificent mounted on a wall and would certainly be a real focal point in any collection of Zulu or African artefacts and weapons.

"A genuine antique Zulu item, NOT a tourist piece!"

In hand the piece looks too new and pristine to be this old. There is absoultly no "wear patina."

I emailed him with this question and received the following:

"The axe handle is absolutely NOT new. The patina is as strong as you are likely to get - the black colouration of the wood IS the patina, developed through age and from storage in a hut, the original colour of the wood would have been significantly lighter than this. It is absolutely right. Trust me, I've handled hundreds of these items and this one came to me directly out of remote Zululand, it was not acquired from a dealer or an ebay purchase or anything like that."

Are there any knowledgeable Zulu collectors who would care to comment on this?

11th September 2006, 09:08 PM	#1
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Zulu Patina question? Looks very recent. I just received this Zulu axe. The seller seems to be very knowledgeable about Zulu pieces. He sells a lot of them and has a 100% feedback. He says "Offered for sale from my private collection of Zulu artefacts is this magnificent antique Zulu axe (called ‘isizenze’ by the Zulus). The axe was collected from a Zulu hut in the battlefields area of Zululand, South Africa, and dates to the early 1900s. "This stunning axe consists of a semi-circular metal blade riveted to a metal tang which is set into the long wooden haft. The wooden haft is carved from a single piece and the patina is virtually black from age. (my bold face) The haft measures about 38.5 inches long. The blade is about 6 inches in length and 3.5 inches deep. The metal blade is in good condition with surface pitting and a rusty/dark patina from the age of the piece. "The axe was collected in the Rorke’s Drift/Isandlwana battlefields area of Zululand. It looks magnificent mounted on a wall and would certainly be a real focal point in any collection of Zulu or African artefacts and weapons. "A genuine antique Zulu item, NOT a tourist piece!" In hand the piece looks too new and pristine to be this old. There is absoultly no "wear patina." I emailed him with this question and received the following: "The axe handle is absolutely NOT new. The patina is as strong as you are likely to get - the black colouration of the wood IS the patina, developed through age and from storage in a hut, the original colour of the wood would have been significantly lighter than this. It is absolutely right. Trust me, I've handled hundreds of these items and this one came to me directly out of remote Zululand, it was not acquired from a dealer or an ebay purchase or anything like that." Are there any knowledgeable Zulu collectors who would care to comment on this? Attached Images