A congolese spear tip, but which tribe?

Flavio · 16th May 2005, 03:37 PM

Hello guys, I have this spear tip that is congolese, but i don't know the tribe. Could you help me? Length 80 cm, maximum width 7 cm. Thank you

Freddy · 17th May 2005, 08:24 PM

Hi Flavio,

This is definitively a spear blade from the Ngbandi tribe in Congo.

Here is a picture from the book 'Iron work from Central Africa' by H. Westerdijk. Unfortunately only available in the Dutch language.

Your spear blade is similar to the one in the top row, second from the left.

For those interested, these spear blades are attributed to :

A - Ngbandi
B - Ngbandi
C - Ngbandi and Bati
D - Ngbandi, Yakoma,Ngombe, Bati, Ngbaka

All these spear blades were used in the Northwestern part of Congo and were traded over a large area and used by different tribes. These were used for thrusting, but also as a means of showing ones wealth.

Flavio · 17th May 2005, 10:06 PM

Thank you very much Freddy, your help is fundamental as usual

Conogre · 18th May 2005, 02:51 AM

The areas of the shaft and butt on the illustration Freddy has posted are fundamental as well, with many, particularly on Ebay, showing up on a plain wooden shaft while being listed as "authentic and complete".
Freddy has been inspirational in helping me to ID spears and spearheads, as well as restoring others.....it's amazing how many "spearheads" that show up are really the other end entirely!

Mike

Flavio · 18th May 2005, 10:29 AM

Hello friends, here another spear point (sorry for the bad picture). Mine is the first pic and the second i have found on the web and it's identical to mine. I think Mangbetu, but I don't know it with certainty. Please help me

Freddy · 18th May 2005, 10:51 AM

According to the book I mentioned above, these barbed spear head come from tribes in the northern part of the area occupied by the Zande tribe in Congo (close to the border with South Sudan). The Mangbetu also have barbed spear heads. But..with Mangbetu spears the spear heads are quite small.

These were used for light throwing spears. The shaft was a simple wooden stick, sometimes with som iron banding at the end (as counter balance).

I'll put some pics of other Ngbandi spears on the forum tomorrow.

Freddy · 19th May 2005, 07:43 PM

Here are some pics of another type of Ngbandi spear head. The length of these is approx. 66 cm. These were used on luxuruous spears. The shafts were like the normal Ngbandi spears with a lot of carving and copper banding.

Although these spears were more for show, I'm sure they could be used as weapons.

Conogre · 21st May 2005, 04:08 AM

LOL!
The trick would be to bump into someone and NOT injure them, I should think.
The 2nd spearhead that you show, Flavio, looks a lot like several that I've seen on Taureg spears/lances, as far to the north as Eretria.
I'll be very interested in seeing what Freddy arrives at, with his much superior experience and library.
Mike

Flavio · 21st May 2005, 04:12 PM

Hello Mike. I receive today this old engraving (end of 1800) with some aspects of African culture. There are some spear tips on the upper zone and there are called "Bongo spear tips" that are very similar (especiallty the first) to mine. I can see on the book "Lame d'Africa" (M. S. Piccardi - L. Salvatici) that the Bongo are locate in the south Sudan (the actual Sudan) and the north Congo (ex Zaire), very close to tha Zande that is the tribe, as Freddy says, from my second spear tip is product.

16th May 2005, 03:37 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	A congolese spear tip, but which tribe? Hello guys, I have this spear tip that is congolese, but i don't know the tribe. Could you help me? Length 80 cm, maximum width 7 cm. Thank you Attached Images

17th May 2005, 08:24 PM	#2
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	nice spear blade Hi Flavio, This is definitively a spear blade from the Ngbandi tribe in Congo. Here is a picture from the book 'Iron work from Central Africa' by H. Westerdijk. Unfortunately only available in the Dutch language. Your spear blade is similar to the one in the top row, second from the left. For those interested, these spear blades are attributed to : A - Ngbandi B - Ngbandi C - Ngbandi and Bati D - Ngbandi, Yakoma,Ngombe, Bati, Ngbaka All these spear blades were used in the Northwestern part of Congo and were traded over a large area and used by different tribes. These were used for thrusting, but also as a means of showing ones wealth.

18th May 2005, 10:29 AM	#5
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Another spear tip Hello friends, here another spear point (sorry for the bad picture). Mine is the first pic and the second i have found on the web and it's identical to mine. I think Mangbetu, but I don't know it with certainty. Please help me Attached Images

19th May 2005, 07:43 PM	#7
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	As promised Here are some pics of another type of Ngbandi spear head. The length of these is approx. 66 cm. These were used on luxuruous spears. The shafts were like the normal Ngbandi spears with a lot of carving and copper banding. Although these spears were more for show, I'm sure they could be used as weapons.

21st May 2005, 04:12 PM	#9
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hello Mike. I receive today this old engraving (end of 1800) with some aspects of African culture. There are some spear tips on the upper zone and there are called "Bongo spear tips" that are very similar (especiallty the first) to mine. I can see on the book "Lame d'Africa" (M. S. Piccardi - L. Salvatici) that the Bongo are locate in the south Sudan (the actual Sudan) and the north Congo (ex Zaire), very close to tha Zande that is the tribe, as Freddy says, from my second spear tip is product. Attached Images

17th May 2005, 10:06 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you very much Freddy, your help is fundamental as usual

18th May 2005, 02:51 AM	#4
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	The areas of the shaft and butt on the illustration Freddy has posted are fundamental as well, with many, particularly on Ebay, showing up on a plain wooden shaft while being listed as "authentic and complete". Freddy has been inspirational in helping me to ID spears and spearheads, as well as restoring others.....it's amazing how many "spearheads" that show up are really the other end entirely! Mike

18th May 2005, 10:51 AM	#6
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	According to the book I mentioned above, these barbed spear head come from tribes in the northern part of the area occupied by the Zande tribe in Congo (close to the border with South Sudan). The Mangbetu also have barbed spear heads. But..with Mangbetu spears the spear heads are quite small. These were used for light throwing spears. The shaft was a simple wooden stick, sometimes with som iron banding at the end (as counter balance). I'll put some pics of other Ngbandi spears on the forum tomorrow.

21st May 2005, 04:08 AM	#8
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	LOL! The trick would be to bump into someone and NOT injure them, I should think. The 2nd spearhead that you show, Flavio, looks a lot like several that I've seen on Taureg spears/lances, as far to the north as Eretria. I'll be very interested in seeing what Freddy arrives at, with his much superior experience and library. Mike