Ceremonial Axe Nsésu
Mbala, D.R. Congo
Brass, wood, copper, iron
Late 19th / early 20th century

Axes of this type were the badges of office for men such as professional sculptors, chiefs, and priests. Worn over the shoulder and supported by one hand, they served to emphasize the special status of the owner. Typical of the Mbala aesthetic, the head of the axe represents a stylized coiffure, and the axe blade is dramatically-shaped (Elsen, De Fer et De fierté, 2003; Roberts, Joyce, and Berns, eds, Striking Iron: The Art of African Blacksmiths, 2019; Westerdijk, African Metal Implements, 1984).

Published in the catalogue "The Scholar's Eye. Selections from the Roy and Sophie Sieber Collection," Jacaranda, January 2025, plate 40.

12.375 in :: 31.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2661

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