Authentic? Cameroon Blade
I am trying to work with the owner of this piece to determine authenticity, after hearing a few comments questioning its authentic. From my experience, I can say that
1). The blade is authentic
2). The handle and blade are an original pair
Certainly, the style in which the handle is carved is unusual. However, I found two published pieces that are extremely similar in Rare African Short Weapons (1983), and Panga Na Visu (2009). These similar pieces use comparably sparing lines on the heads, are similarly abstract, and wear neck bulges and carved cowrie shells for decoration.
Having found TWO published comparable examples, I was quite certain that this was an authentic regional style, albeit a somewhat non-Cameroonian aesthetic. However, I realized that both published pieces are the exact same knife - someone simply put a sheath on it in Panga Na Visu.
Has anyone seen another? Thanks!
-Ethan Rider
ERTribal
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