Short Sword in Scabbard
Northern Kete, D.R. Congo
Iron, wood, leather, vegetal fiber
19th century
This distinctive short sword originates from the northern Kete, and bears many similarities to blades of the Luba/Kuba and Wongo/Lele. Examples with a scabbard are extremely uncommon.
The Kete are a mosaic of several populations. Some lived in the Congo with the Twa (pygmies) since before the 15th century, while others arrived later in different waves of migration. The northern Kete live on the borderland of the Kuba kingdom, and in the last three centuries, some Kete groups and their culture were incorporated into the Kuba kingdom. Other Kete groups remained independent.
The northern Kete are mainly agriculturalists who grow manioc, maize, yams, peanuts, and palm for oil. Men hunt and fish in the rivers with traps. The women are skilled potters and basketmakers, and the men are blacksmiths, weave raffia cloth, and tap palm wine (Felix, 100 Peoples of Zaire and Their Sculpture, 1987).
Provenance:
François Jean-Baptiste Emile Meurice (1864 - 1935)
Clovis Picard (1896 - 1974)
Scott Bergmans
23.5 in :: 60 cm
InventoryID #13-2217
Price on Request
