Onzil or Musele Knife
Kota, Gabon
Iron, wood, brass
Early 20th century

Often called a "bird head" knife for its resemblance to the African Hornbill (Calao), the onzil or musele knife was a symbolic emblem of religious prestige and social authority that was never intended for use as a knife. The onzil knife played a specific role in the context of several of the many religious societies that existed among the groups inhabiting the Ogowe basin; for the Kota, this included the Mungala and the Bwiti.

The northern Kota, also called the Kota-Kota or the true Kota, number 28,000. In general, the Kota are separated into two groups, the northern and southern Kota, as a result of migration.

Bird head knives symbolically represented weapons that were metaphysically aimed at hurting anyone who acted antisocially against the village community by practicing witchcraft or sorcery. The hornbill is a creature much admired in Africa for its persistence and intelligence (Blackmun & Hautelet, Blades of Beauty and Death, 1990; Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

15 in :: 38 cm

InventoryID #13-1610

SOLD