Hi Gav,
AFAIK the wire work on Shona knives was of better 'craftsmanship' mid to late 19thC, early 20thC was not as good and late 20th worse. I'll try and 'dig' out the reference.
So the problem is , if this is definately Shona ....was it manufactured early 19thC (or there abouts ...as there is no wirework) or early 20th C onwards. The condition of the wood suggests the later.
But, this may not be Shona ....but a neighbouring tribe whom have adopted the style ...in this case it is more difficult to tell.
I think the patina of the wood would be the most accurate to date this knife....and with the condition of the rusted 'bent over' tang I think mid 20thC maybe a little earlier. I wonder if this may be a WW2 'bring back'....but this is only my opinion based on your pictures. To have it 'in hand' might tell a different story. Hopefully, someone else may have other opinions?
One other thing...the size of the knife is verging on the short sword 'category' and would be called a 'bakatwa'
All the best
David
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