Prestige / Throwing Knife Musri
Teda / Tubu-Daza, Chad
Iron, wood, leather
Late 19th / early 20th century

In addition to being used as a handweapon and a missile for war and hunting, the Musri was employed by men and women alike as a ceremonial dancing implement. Depicted in rock drawings from the 18th century, this weapon type is deeply rooted in the tradition and history of the Tubu-Daza (the Teda and Tubu-Daza are subgroups of the Tubu).

Despite its effectiveness as a weapon, the primary function of the Musri was an emblem of prestige and a symbol of sovereign status, and its outline was even employed as a mark for branding cattle. When used as a weapon, it was thrown horizontally, but such use was outlawed in the early 1960s, for the extent of damage it typically caused (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

Leo Frobenius declared that the Musri was intended to resemble the shape of a duck, which was a symbol of the Tomagra, or aristocratic class (Zirngibl, Rare African Short Weapons, 1983).

This is a fascinating example that was broken in two and then put back together with two large rivets, and is also particularly sharp. 

26 in :: 66 cm

InventoryID #13-1778

SOLD