What kind of African blade is this?

[apolaki]

Can anyone tell me if my sword looks like brass or bronze, or maybe iron? I read that brass was a rare metal and i read it was used in the context of royal ada. is this true in general for ada, this example looks crudely cast compared to ones i've seen in museums.

Thanks for your help!

[Tim Simmons]

Looks like a form of brass or bronze. Brass being copper and tin and bronze copper and zinc. These alloys can become similar when alloyed with other metal. Either brass with zinc of even lead and bronze with tin and or lead. In industry this depends on what the alloy has to do. In a piece like the example you show the alloy might be what is commonly at hand.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

... Brass being copper and tin and bronze copper and zinc. ...

oops.

brass=copper + zinc
bronze=copper+tin

both can have other metals in small proportions as alloying components or contaminants.