Prestige Sword
Gbaya, Central African Republic / Rep. of Congo / Cameroon
Iron, wood, brass, copper
19th century

While not resembling the well-known F-shaped throwing knives of the Gbaya, the raised ridges on the iron blade seen here can also be found on the topbranches of Gbaya F-types. The incising is executed inside the channel between these ridges, save for in two symmetrical places, the larger of which is quite dramatic and possibly invokes the long horns of a zoomorphic creature.

The great majority of the Gbaya people, some 4 million strong, inhabit the western part of The Central African Republic, while a quarter occupies areas in Cameroon. The Gbaya are made up of a number of major elements and several minor ones whose members differ in that each group speaks a well-defined dialect. In particular, the Gbaya groups Buli and Biyanda, who had a thriving iron industry fed by rich deposits of ore, seem to have excelled in the production of more sophisticated blades (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

Published: Rider, 100 African Blades, 2021, plate 84.

19.5 in :: 49.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2092

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