AN EXCELLENT SONGYE-NSAPO ADZE
 

Dear friends, i'm happy to show you my last acquisition: an extraordinary Songye-Nsapo (or as Spring says TETELA) Adze. All comments are welcome :)

Very cool,congrats! Very interesting weapon,not often that we get to see adzes the long blade looks kind of awkward,is this more of a ceremonial/dance item or what?

Hello Justin. I think that this kind of object is only ceremonial and a status symbol for peoples of elevated social class. Thank you :)

I'd tend to think that this one is almost entirely a status/rank related piece, such as would be carried by a chief or someone of extremely high rank, particularly designated by a chief for use in royal processions or courts than in a ceremonial/dance context.
While adzes are traditionally thought of primarily as tools, I don't think that there's any disputing that more practical forms were pressed into use as weapons at least occasionally if not regularly, and seemed to reach a symbolic level of power in Africa found nowhere else in the world.
That is probably one of the most beautiful examples that I've ever seen...congratulations on an exceptional aquisition!
Mike

Nice
 

Very nice find, Flavio. Truly a museum piece. :)

Hello Mike, i'm agree with you completely. Thank you very much to you and Freddy :)