Big currency from Africa -- Zaire?

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by fearn

Hi Bill,

Here's a website that calls it a Tarumba, from Zaire/DRC:

African Currency Exhibition

(warning: if you a) collect African blades, b) have strong opinions, and c) have high blood pressure, take your meds before viewing this website. There might be disagreements between its info and your own views ).

Fearn

Fearn,

I like the website. Lots of neat stuff. Interestingly enough they said my piece was worth $200 and that is what I paid at the little antique shop.

I had no idea but thought that it would be worth that as a decoration/conversation piece. I really like the shape. Need to clean it up just a bit and get a large block of wood, drill a hole in it and stand this thing up.

Truthfully African weapons are not my thing. I find them somewhat interesting, strange shapes and designs. Great to hang on the wall of our sunroom. Their forging quality is, shall we say, 'different.'

I much more like the Indonesian achipelago pieces, first, then Chinese swords, Indian Newar, Nagaland, Nepal and Tibet.

Swords are mystical things. Many times the most important and valuable thing a man owned.

My heart is really in Javanese keris. Those can be incredible. Totally diferent than any other kind of collecting. But I don't feel right about displaying them, so I got an armload of bits and pieces from all over to hang on the walls.

Still this big old piece (anybodu have a guess as to age?) has a certain presence. Also I really liked the seller, a strange, exoctic woman who had an incredible bracelet made from unborn babys' teeth. THAT was REALLY wierd. Anne and I were so taken aback that I forgot to take a picture.

The woman had it in her medicine bag and would not even discuss selling it. there must have been about 30 teeth small as half a grain of rice. Maybe it was not what she said, but sure looked and felt authentic.

Thanks
Bill