African spear for ID

[colin henshaw]

Thanks Iain,

I can't be of much help on this one unfortunately - and can only offer a few observations :-

Those engraved decorations and angled ridging are quite common on knives and spears from the Congo area, as is the strip copper wrap and the use of brass upholstery tacks.

However the cross-piece element is atypical, as is the pronounced narrow mid-rib. In fact, the whole profile of the blade, reminds me of European polearms/halberds...

Its a very long shot, and most likely not the case here, but I have once seen a Congo knife made in the form of a mediaeval European dagger. Probably a commission by a Belgian colonial to a native blacksmith. But I mention this just in passing.

Hopefully another forumite can give a clearer attribution to the spear.

Regards,
Colin