African spear ID help

[Araña_del_Sol]

Hi all,

I got this spear a while back but was never sure where it came from though it always struck me as being Sudanese mainly due to the crocodile skin "sleeves" on either end of the shaft. It is fairly small with total length of 88.9 cm (35 inches). Any help identifying its place of origin and/or ethnic attributions would be appreciated.

- ADS

[Lee]

Perhaps a Swazi or Zulu Iklwa (Assegai) Stabbing Spear (http://vikingsword.com/lew/w0215/w0215.html) from southern Africa?

[Araña_del_Sol]

Hi Lee,

Thanks for your response, it is definitely in the size range for an iklwa but this spear has a socketed spearhead whereas southern African spears tended to have tanged spearheads so I'm thinking it comes from further north.

- ADS

[drac2k]

Even though it looks like a Zulu spear, are you sure? This spear has a socket head and doesn't a Zulu spearhead usually, have a tang that is inserted into the wooden shaft?

[Tim Simmons]

With the Croc skin it is most probably from Sudanese regions. Also it appears to have lost the metal butt end.

[Araña_del_Sol]

Hi Tim, thanks for your response I also got the impression that it is Sudanese, interesting to consider that it it had a metal butt. Wonder what it looked like?

- ADS