Upper Nile river Harpoon? Fishing spear?

[Shakethetrees]

Here's something I am, not to make a bad pun, "fishing" for information on.

The blade to socket length is 11 inches and a fraction long, asymmetrically forged, (obverse to reverse), and with a single barb.

The shaft is stepped where the line is secured. It appears to be hemp.

The shaft seems to be palm wood or something like it with a linear straight grain that is prone to splintering. The swollen grip is nicely sculpted with facets.

Overall it is about 52 inches long.

I think it is from the upper Nile river region because of the manner in which the point was forged.

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated!

[Gavin Nugent]

Fishing yes, but for bigger prey, the Hippo.

Most of my library is in storage but from memory, Congo...pictured in the 1910 British Museum Ethno handbook... I have a nice old one here in my collections too.

[Shakethetrees]

Thanks for the info!

I would have thought it was for something like Nile perch!

I would think the line present would not be anywhere strong enough for anything that large.

[LJ]

Do you know the Pitt-Rivers Museum web resource on Southern Sudan ? It contains a lot of images of people, and objects.

As for your harpoon, I would start thinkng about the Lake regions of Central Africa (but I could be wrong !) The B.M. Handbook figures harpoons for elephants as well as hippo.

[Congoblades]

This is one from Congo is similar, ngbandi/Bati (Yakomo)

[Tim Simmons]

Similar items from Uganda there is a cultural overlap.
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