Throwing Knife, Za or Bwambwa
Ngbaka / Ngombe, D.R. Congo
Forged iron, vegetable fiber, cotton textile
Early 20th century

The design of this throwing knife was derived from a knife known as za, which was invented by the Ngbaka. The Ngbaka spoke of how their cultural hero, Seto, carried one, and referred to this type as the "wife" of another of their blades, the za sali, who was the husband.

This particular type is distinguished by having only its cutting edges cleaned of ironscale, with the remaining planes of the blade deliberately left dark. 

This throwing knife variation took an expert blacksmith several days to produce, and was expensive. While it could be effectively thrown as a weapon, its value made such an act impractical; Westerdijk writes, "its owner hurled it only in the last resort, or when he esteemed to have a fair chance of recovering it." As such, this weapon's primary role was that of an emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Known as ngwolo orbwambwa, this weapon type was mainly carried by village heads, lineage elders, and other notables as a symbol of prestige. They were brandished during important funerals, used in initiation ceremonies, and even carried by police during the colonial period (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

This example was collected in Lubumbashi between 1948 and 1954.

 

 

15.75 in :: 40 cm

InventoryID #13-1090

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