Ceremonial / Prestige Axe, nxatabuya or shangaan
Tsonga / Ndau / Shangaan / Venda, South Africa / Mozambique / Zimbabwe
Wood, iron
Early 20th century

This axe is a ceremonial version of a battle axe that comes from the Tsonga, Ndau, and Shangaan, who live in southern Mozambique, and the Venda, who live in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Variations of this axe type can also be found among the Shona and Karanga of Zimbabwe (Elsen, De fer et de fierté, 2003).

In addition to their role as indicators of status, axes of this type also carried ancestral symbolism as they were preserved as heirlooms and passed from one generation to the next. Some examples were also used ritually, during spirit possessions (Petridis, The Art of Daily Life, 2011).

30 in :: 76 cm

InventoryID #13-2931

Price on Request