Short Sword with Sheath, ntsakh or fa
Fang, Gabon / Equatorial Guinea / Cameroon
Iron, wood, brass
Late 19th / early 20th century

This fine short sword with its original sheath comes from the Fang, who inhabit the rainforest in an area that stretches over three countries. The sheath, called abam, is composed of two wooden boards typically covered with stitched lizard skin from the Ornate monitor (Varanus ornatus), however on this rare example, the sheath is covered with an embossed iron sheet. While primarily a symbol of status, these blades were also used in a ceremonial context, and are very functional as well, with two sharp cutting edges (Elsen, De fer et de fierté, 2003).

I am aware of three examples with this type of sheath. Two of them (in my archive) were published in Felix & GE (Eds.), Fatal Beauty: Traditional Weapons from Central Africa, 2009, [Orange edition] fig. 59b. 

20.625 in :: 52.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2549

Price on Request