Fon recade

[Tim Simmons]

I stumbled across this Recade? today at a local car boot sale. Not strictly a weapon but if they are good enough for C. Springs. "African Arms and Armour" then it should be okay here. Not the best quallity but still a nice find. Must have belonged to somebody fairly low in the food chain but important enough to have one. The top and bottom pieces were silver plated, unusual but not unheard of. Length 50cm. I was certain it was African work but it took me some time to realise I was looking at a stylised lions head and mane . Howling for Wolf, what is your opinion?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/NEW001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/NEW003.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/NEW006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jamhappy/NEW004.jpg

[Tim Simmons]

Close ups under a different light.

[katana]

Hi Tim,
looks European or Indian to me....and the head looks to be more canine ..than feline :shrug: The suspension (?) rings 'top and bottom' suggests it was hung horizontally. My initial feeling was that this item has something to do with coaches (horse drawn)....but cannot remember why this is so.... :shrug: But I could be mistaken ......nothing unusual there :)

Seeing your newer images....perhaps a tiger head...and if so, India is quite likely to be the origin

[Tim Simmons]

Hi Dave,
Horse trappings and India were my first thoughts also. A horses head and mane. Then after more thought, the rings and whole thing seems rather on the light side to be part of a horse bit and other trappings. When at home I was able to look through a few books. A lions head is frequently found on recade. I could start uploading pics for discussion. I think the rings are added possibly to flash it up as it is not the most special. It is possible that there was a lanyard of some material and ribbons? stuff? could go on the top ring? At 50cm they would have to be like Shetland ponies :D . Is it pony and trap?

PS. A quick google Fon Recade comes up with quite a lot of info and pics of various types many feature a lion.

[Tim Simmons]

Look at this one.
http://www.tribal-art-auktion.de/katalog_pdf/Katalog-48-Inhalt.pdf

[Tim Simmons]

Just remembered to add that a roughness of finish is part some Fon art expression. Being that it was silver plated perhaps it is from someone a little higher up in the food chain.

[Tim Simmons]

Just got this ebay example. A good deal more substancial than the one I have. The example I already have, the wood part is less than 1/2 inch diametre. This new one being 1 inch diametre but the same length just over 19 inchs. I think it is pretty cool and I really like the way the lion head is broken into two parts, the mane and head being seperate. This treatment is so unusual for me. It is a deliberate not formed from lack of skill.