Strange African Spear?

Jim McDougall · 17th February 2006, 03:17 AM

Hi Lew,
I think you are astutely on target in your assessment that this item may be from Somalia or Danakil regions. I also agree with Tim's observation that this may well be a tribal chieftains spear which may well have been a diplomatic gift or specially made as symbol of rank or status, as it is of remarkable quality. I am inclined to agree with earlier 20th c. date as well.

Assigning regional provenance to African weapons is sometimes nearly impossible with the constant geopolitical flux, trade interaction and by the 20th century the addition of the tourist/souvenier factor. Spring ("African Arms & Armour", p.103) notes that the best Danakil spears have faceted sockets and leaf shaped blades. While this item has a faceted shaft rather than socket, it seems worthy of comparison. The Danakil inhabited the plain between North Ethiopian highlands and the Red Sea, thus were in proximity to the trade entering via that littoral, and the Somalian attribution may be incorporated with this. The Nilotic influence is apparant on this spear with the lizard skin which may be of the monitor lizards of Sudanese areas. The constant diffusion of Sudanese tribes such as Beja and Hadendoa into the Danakil areas and Eritrea may well account for such influences.

What seems unusual to me is that this piece reminds me essentially of an assegai in its apparant configuration as a short stabbing spear (although clearly not of assegai form). Possibly that may be congruent with the mention of the Ugandan spears, which I am unfamiliar with and may be similar to the assegai in that sense. In any case, this short spear seems an anomaly which may have been fashioned for a prominant figure as a diplomatic gift as such items often reflected such hybridizations and high quality.

I agree with everyone, this is a magnificent piece!!! Well done

Best regards,
Jim

17th February 2006, 03:17 AM	#10
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Hi Lew, I think you are astutely on target in your assessment that this item may be from Somalia or Danakil regions. I also agree with Tim's observation that this may well be a tribal chieftains spear which may well have been a diplomatic gift or specially made as symbol of rank or status, as it is of remarkable quality. I am inclined to agree with earlier 20th c. date as well. Assigning regional provenance to African weapons is sometimes nearly impossible with the constant geopolitical flux, trade interaction and by the 20th century the addition of the tourist/souvenier factor. Spring ("African Arms & Armour", p.103) notes that the best Danakil spears have faceted sockets and leaf shaped blades. While this item has a faceted shaft rather than socket, it seems worthy of comparison. The Danakil inhabited the plain between North Ethiopian highlands and the Red Sea, thus were in proximity to the trade entering via that littoral, and the Somalian attribution may be incorporated with this. The Nilotic influence is apparant on this spear with the lizard skin which may be of the monitor lizards of Sudanese areas. The constant diffusion of Sudanese tribes such as Beja and Hadendoa into the Danakil areas and Eritrea may well account for such influences. What seems unusual to me is that this piece reminds me essentially of an assegai in its apparant configuration as a short stabbing spear (although clearly not of assegai form). Possibly that may be congruent with the mention of the Ugandan spears, which I am unfamiliar with and may be similar to the assegai in that sense. In any case, this short spear seems an anomaly which may have been fashioned for a prominant figure as a diplomatic gift as such items often reflected such hybridizations and high quality. I agree with everyone, this is a magnificent piece!!! Well done Best regards, Jim