Prestige Axe, Kandambala
Chokwe, Angola
Iron, wood, brass, copper
Early 20th century

Small axes of this type, some collected around Katyila, were sought-after objects of exchange and trade. Like this piece, they had a lavishly decorated shaft and fine pointillist incisions on the blade (Zirngibl & Kubetz, Panga Na Visu, 2009).

Around 1860, following a major famine, the Chokwe migrated and settled in Angola. They were governed by a king known as Mwana Ngana, who distributed hunting grounds and cultivated areas. The male Mugonge and female Ukule societies regulated social life (Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, 1998).

13.75 in :: 35 cm

InventoryID #13-2579

Price on Request