Short Sword
Birom, Bauchi Province, Nigeria
Iron
Early 20th century

This short sword was used by the Birom and neighboring cultures of the Bauchi Province of the Jos Plateau such as the Ron and Rukuba. Originally, it would have been carried in a sheath decorated with distinctive round brass embellishments (see 100 African Blades, vol. 2, plate 4). While many cultures in northern Nigeria were Islamicised, the rugged and mountainous terrain of this remote region helped to maintain political and religious independence as well as a highly individualistic material culture, as demonstrated by this unique blade type (Spring, African Arms and Armor, 1993).

22.75 in :: 58 cm

InventoryID #13-2338

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