Currency Knife, Empute
Mbole, D.R. Congo
Forged iron, wood, copper wire
1925-1950

While there is a great amount of fantastical misinformation written about these knives - from their use as drop-weapons by savages hiding in the trees above, to the great weight of their pommels making them give enormously powerful blows - anyone who has ever held one of these pieces in their hand immediately understands how entirely unbalanced and useless they are as weapons. Basically an enormous, heavy brick of sculpted iron with a comparably featherweight blade attached, this was purely a currency form.

As Hurst wrote, "the iron pommel was a tangible asset in itself: 'In many parts of Africa, iron is money, that is it represents a standard of value, it is recognized as a medium of exchange, and a standard of wealth. To succeed in this last function it must be displayed'" (Quiggin, 1963). The possession of these valuable weapons enhanced the status of the owner; when such knives were presented to an ally or rival, a reciprocal gift or favor of considerable consequence was an implicit requirement (Hurst, Ngola, 1997).

This substantial blade weighs an impressive 7.6 lbs / 3.4 kg

Mounted on a custom display stand, pictured below. 

21.25 in :: 54 cm

InventoryID #13-1093

SOLD