Congo/Gabon/W African dance axe?

[Tim Simmons]

My first thing for 2008. Still has to arrive but I cannot wait any longer . I would like opinions from the African collectors like Freddy, Luc and others. It was not cheap but I think it is rare enough for the price. The over all length is 51cm. I guess the blade is 16cm so it is not big. One cannot see if it has any weight but it does look like there is a sharp edge. Possibly not a dance item? I just love the flourish to the blade and the handle also looks very nice. I will show other pictures when it arrives.

[katana]

Hi Tim
interesting piece..... keep thinking 'African Ram dao', the coiled design (snake ?) adding alittle weight to the tip.

Chicken sacrifice is very common in Africa, both occurring in some of the indiginous religions and the Islamic population.

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:F...nk&cd=14&gl=uk

http://books.google.com/books?id=frC...D8n1D2QxNVj32c

http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/w...in_the_gu.html

As to the spiral symbology perhaps

".... the spiral and its continuity has been used for thousands of years as a symbol of the Earth Mother…and of that cyclic nature of life.
By the same token, because snakes are often seen coiled in a spiral, in many cultures they have in fact been adopted as a symbol or representative icon of that concept of the ongoing cycle of life, death, and rebirth. In addition, there is the fact that since they crawl along the ground, they are in constant contact with the Earth Mother.
Because it sheds its skin, the snake has long been a symbol of death and rebirth, and in the few days before the shedding, it often takes on a deathly appearance where its eyes begin to cloud over and and its skin becomes dull. In many cultures, this indicates the snake’s ability to move between the realms of the living and the dead, of crossing over from life to death and then back to life again....."

Regards David

[Tim Simmons]

David your research is as keen as ever. Thank you.
Such thoughts had entered my mind but I did not want to state too much. I feel this is West African, Nigeria or what was Dahomey. Possibly a rare piece. It is clearly something special to my mind anyway.

[katana]

Thanks Tim,
the two 'lugs' on the handle are a bit of a mystery .... I like the metal ferrule , neat little 'touch'


The overall impression, of your piece is that it is functional, possibly utalitarian but I think too ornate for everyday use. Ritualistic gets my vote .... well until Freddy or Luc correct me

[katana]

Hi Tim
I've just added 6 spears to my collection.....one may be of interest to this thread. If you look at the decoration on one of them...it appears very similar to the design on the ferrule on your 'Ram dao' .....alas I do not know the origins

Regards

[Tim Simmons]

Nice set of spear David, they look like Sudan/Congo Zande and Mangbetu they could be from else where ofcourse. The marks have some similarity. I am thinking that the axe? may relate more to this type of thing. The proportions are very similar to the axe? is 2.5cm longer.

[Freddy]

Interesting axe, Tim. I have never seen one like this before.

In your last post, you show a Momvu sickle knife. In his book 'The Sickle Weapons' (2000), the author, Jan Elsen, gives an oversight of the different types of sickle weapons found in Central East Africa. It's possible that your axe fits in this category.
These are the prototypes (according to the author) from which the Mangbetu and also the Momvu knives evolved.

I scanned the pages (I hope it's clear enough) :





Here's a sickle knife I recently found on ebay and that fits into this category.

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks Freddy, I think that you and David are closer to the mark. I have now ruled out West Africa on the grounds that all the status objects in my collection from the trade coast are in terms of pure construction far more sophisticated in that the artisans have a more broad palette of influences.
This piece is clearly a special item but it is of simple construction which reflects a more isolated region. To me much of the artist value is carried in the handle and its carving. The blade, although beautiful, is secondary. In my opinion it is really made to be seen held like a baton hence the swelling in the centre of the handle so a display of more carving is possible. I will show pictures of views that at the moment we have just to guess at.

[Tim Simmons]

I have had this for a few days now but I have not been able to catch day light for pictures. It is not really an axe, more a long handled knife. The blade is well made light and sharp enough to shave with. In general it is dainty , fine and has been used. I cannot explain more without the use of pictures. I think it is East African, somewhere?

[Tim Simmons]

Here are some more pictures. This is not an axe but you can chop with it as you can see when looking at the use on the blade. I feel it is a knife with a long handle which seems to me that it could be held in three positions. Griped around the part near the blade, griped around the middle using the projection by the thumb as support and finally at the far end with the projection as a stop at the palm of the hand.

Is it a weapon? well there is some reach to slash with as well as slashing close in. The blade is razor sharp, a rub on a strop and you could shave with it as I mentioned before. How big does a blade have to be to slice up a half naked opponent. It is a fine piece of steel. I cannot say it is hollow ground to each side in the standard way but when passed through the thumb and fore fingers you can feel that the blade has concave sides. The wood and carving and fine shaving marks are identical to the South Sudan club. So I suspect it is from eastern region and not the elusive Dahomey amazons razor weapon. Somewhere I have heard the slogan "seek and ye shall find" fingers crossed.