Zulu wire work

Waterbuck · 15th December 2008, 04:38 PM

The picture below shows a spear (longest one) that was originally purchased from a Zulu near the Buffalo river and it was said to have been used against the British in 1879 at Rorke’s Drift. I have provenance all the way back to Zululand.

The wire work is in poor condition and generally matches the very old age of the very heavily pitted blade and dark shaft.

The wirework on the broad headed spear is copper, whilst the age appears to match the rest of the spear, I though it may have been added later.

With the spears in my first post all appear very old, but I have wondered if some of the wire work may have been added at a later date.

I also included two Knobkerries that both have wire work, but more on Knobkerries later.

15th December 2008, 04:38 PM	#8
Waterbuck Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 11	The picture below shows a spear (longest one) that was originally purchased from a Zulu near the Buffalo river and it was said to have been used against the British in 1879 at Rorke’s Drift. I have provenance all the way back to Zululand. The wire work is in poor condition and generally matches the very old age of the very heavily pitted blade and dark shaft. The wirework on the broad headed spear is copper, whilst the age appears to match the rest of the spear, I though it may have been added later. With the spears in my first post all appear very old, but I have wondered if some of the wire work may have been added at a later date. I also included two Knobkerries that both have wire work, but more on Knobkerries later.