Upper Nile river Harpoon? Fishing spear?
 

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

Similar items from Uganda there is a cultural overlap.
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