Zulu wire work

Lew · 8th December 2008, 03:14 PM

Hi Waterbuck and welcome to the forum.

Your spears are very nice examples I would think these are 1890-1920 as far as age goes.

Lew

Tim Simmons · 8th December 2008, 06:49 PM

Drawing wire has been a venerable craft in central and southern Africa for hundreds of years. It is believed that this was mostly drawing copper wire. Brass is know and examples have been found in southern Africa but again it is believed that the widespread use of brass is after European imports or more importantly the native manufacture of brass could not compete with European imports. A book "Red Gold of Africa, Copper in Precolonial History and Culture" University of Wisconsin press, is a good introduction and basic over view of non ferrous metal in Africa. So it is quite possibly that your examples could well come from earlier in the 19th century.

VANDOO · 8th December 2008, 11:55 PM

I DON'T KNOW THE ORIGIN OF WIRE IN GENERAL BUT COPPER WIRE WAS INVINTED WHEN A DUTCHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN GOT IN A FIGHT OVER A PENNY

THE JOKE IS PROBABLY AS OLD AS WIRE

NICE SPEARS AND VERY GOOD TO HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES AND AGES. JUST GUESSING BUT IS THE TOP ONE THE OLDEST?
I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE AGE OF THE ZULU WIREWORK USING IRON WIRE WAS AS I HAVE SEEN MORE EXAMPLES OF THAT THAN THE OTHERS. DOES IT PREDATE THE COPPER AND BRASS OR DOES IT COME AFTER.?
TODAY THEY FAVOR THE COLORFUL TELEPHONE WIRES BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT ON A SPEAR YET JUST CLUBS AND BOWLS.

Tim Simmons · 11th December 2008, 03:08 PM

The zinc needed to make true brasses could come from trade to the east as mentioned in the book. Tin was exported from areas of southern Africa. It is also more than possible that zinc was traded by caravan like metals were across the Sahara, from the north? How long has zinc been used on Kaskara and Somali sword fittings. So even without firm archaeological evidance of zinc at smelting sites which does seem elusive in Sub Saharan African, Africa is a huge land mass and investigations into these questions are indeed recent endevours. To concluded that brass was therefore absent in southern Africa before European trade could be short sighted.

Waterbuck · 12th December 2008, 04:52 PM

The picture below shows a spear (longest one) that was originally purchased from a Zulu near the Buffalo river and it was said to have been used against the British in 1879 at Rorke’s Drift. I have provenance all the way back to Zululand.

The wire work is in poor condition and generally matches the very old age of the very heavily pitted blade and dark shaft.

The wirework on the broad headed spear is copper, whilst the age appears to match the rest of the spear, I though it may have been added later.

With the spears in my first post all appear very old, but I have wondered if some of the wire work may have been added at a later date.

I also included two Knobkerries that both have wire work, but more on Knobkerries later.

8th December 2008, 06:49 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	Drawing wire has been a venerable craft in central and southern Africa for hundreds of years. It is believed that this was mostly drawing copper wire. Brass is know and examples have been found in southern Africa but again it is believed that the widespread use of brass is after European imports or more importantly the native manufacture of brass could not compete with European imports. A book "Red Gold of Africa, Copper in Precolonial History and Culture" University of Wisconsin press, is a good introduction and basic over view of non ferrous metal in Africa. So it is quite possibly that your examples could well come from earlier in the 19th century. Last edited by Tim Simmons; 8th December 2008 at 07:10 PM.

8th December 2008, 03:14 PM	#1
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Hi Waterbuck and welcome to the forum. Your spears are very nice examples I would think these are 1890-1920 as far as age goes. Lew

8th December 2008, 11:55 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I DON'T KNOW THE ORIGIN OF WIRE IN GENERAL BUT COPPER WIRE WAS INVINTED WHEN A DUTCHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN GOT IN A FIGHT OVER A PENNY THE JOKE IS PROBABLY AS OLD AS WIRE NICE SPEARS AND VERY GOOD TO HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES AND AGES. JUST GUESSING BUT IS THE TOP ONE THE OLDEST? I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE AGE OF THE ZULU WIREWORK USING IRON WIRE WAS AS I HAVE SEEN MORE EXAMPLES OF THAT THAN THE OTHERS. DOES IT PREDATE THE COPPER AND BRASS OR DOES IT COME AFTER.? TODAY THEY FAVOR THE COLORFUL TELEPHONE WIRES BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT ON A SPEAR YET JUST CLUBS AND BOWLS.

11th December 2008, 03:08 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	The zinc needed to make true brasses could come from trade to the east as mentioned in the book. Tin was exported from areas of southern Africa. It is also more than possible that zinc was traded by caravan like metals were across the Sahara, from the north? How long has zinc been used on Kaskara and Somali sword fittings. So even without firm archaeological evidance of zinc at smelting sites which does seem elusive in Sub Saharan African, Africa is a huge land mass and investigations into these questions are indeed recent endevours. To concluded that brass was therefore absent in southern Africa before European trade could be short sighted.

12th December 2008, 04:52 PM	#5
Waterbuck Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 11	The picture below shows a spear (longest one) that was originally purchased from a Zulu near the Buffalo river and it was said to have been used against the British in 1879 at Rorke’s Drift. I have provenance all the way back to Zululand. The wire work is in poor condition and generally matches the very old age of the very heavily pitted blade and dark shaft. The wirework on the broad headed spear is copper, whilst the age appears to match the rest of the spear, I though it may have been added later. With the spears in my first post all appear very old, but I have wondered if some of the wire work may have been added at a later date. I also included two Knobkerries that both have wire work, but more on Knobkerries later.