Elaborately Embellished Dagger with Sheath
Gbaya, Central African Republic / Rep. of Congo / Cameroon
Iron, wood, leather, crocodile
Early 20th century

The great majority of the Gbaya people, some 4 million strong, inhabit the western part of The Central African Republic, while a quarter occupies areas in Cameroon. The Gbaya are made up of a number of major elements and several minor ones whose members differ in that each group speaks a well-defined dialect. In particular, the Gbaya groups Buli and Biyanda, who had a thriving iron industry fed by rich deposits of ore, seem to have excelled in the production of more sophisticated blades (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

This example is elaborately decorated on its sheath and handle, but most flamboyantly on its blade. The densely-packed incisions create a unique texture. Note how different the blade looks when just the bottoms of the incisions are illuminated compared to when the entire surface is illuminated. 

13.75 in :: 35 cm

InventoryID #13-2705

SOLD