Ceremonial Throwing Knife
Fur / Masalit, Sudan
Forged iron, braided leather
1900-1920

The Fur are a major group inhabiting the Darfur region, numbering 200,000. Their throwing knives were once used as one of the main weapons of the infantry in Sudan, which solidified their importance in Fur culture, even after their use in conflicts declined sharply at the turn of the twentieth century. In their post-functional existence, these throwing knives were potent symbols of tradition and status and appeared in ceremonial contexts. In the early twentieth century, these knives served completely nonutilitarian roles, and were primarily used as dancing implements, used by men and women alike (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988). 

31.5 in :: 80 cm

InventoryID #13-1173

SOLD