Prestige Blade
Kuba, D.R. Congo
Copper (mixed, cast, and hammered), wood, zinc
1940-60

This unusual Kuba prestige blade comes from a repurposed thin copper plate that was melted and mixed with other metals to strengthen its composition - the blade is strong and much less malleable than pure copper, and the color is modified as well. The technique of mixing metals in this way was imported from Europe, and became popular in Africa in the 1920s when blacksmiths mixed indigenous iron with imported nickel to strengthen their blades.

Unlike most African edged weapons, this piece was not forged - it was cast using the lost wax technique, and then hammered into its final form. The handle was then added, with intricate applied designs in zinc.

14 in :: 35 cm

InventoryID #13-354

SOLD