Functional / Status Knife Arasa
Ndo / Alur / Lendu, Northeastern D.R. Congo / Northwestern Uganda
Iron, wood
Early 20th century

This small knife was a working knife used by women among the Ndo, Alur (Lur), and Lendu, who live in border area between D.R. Congo and Uganda. Some examples were the prerogative of a chief’s wife, who wore it during festivals as a symbol of her power in the context of supervising the cultivation and harvesting of crops. According to H. Westerdijk, the Ndo, who live on the upper Kibali River, were the original makers of this knife.

4.875 in :: 12.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2581

Price on Request