Prestige knife with gold-plated handle, Lalié
Baule, Ivory Coast
Iron, wood, leather, gold, string
Early 20th century

Among the Baule of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), gold-covered wooden figures, fly whisk handles, sword hilts, knife handles, linguist staff finials, combs, and other objects are prestige items owned by chiefs and individuals of high status. They are part of the family's inheritance and are linked to ancestral force and the soul of the family. Gold-covered objects are placed on display for funerals, for certain masquerade performances, and for ceremonies associated with leadership (Ceremonial Knife, Smithsonian: National Museum of African Art, n.d.). 

According to Cornelia Rink-Hollnberger, the shells attached to the leather sheath belong to the spondylus family, and while they are naturally red, they were polished by the Baule to give them a smoother surface and to emphasize their color (Elsen, De fer et de fierté, 2003; Zirngibl, Rare African Short Weapons, 1983).

10.5 in :: 26.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2880

SOLD