Scepter in the form of a throwing knife, hâ
Mboum (Mbum), Cameroon
Iron
Late 19th / early 20th century

This object, inspired by a throwing knife, is not a knife or a currency object. It was an emblem of royalty for chiefs of Mboum clans. Most authors have stressed the purely ceremonial and nonutilitarian character of these knives. Frobenius reported in 1912 that the residence of the Mboum king was named after his hâ pieces, in which several were stored together. He states he is of the opinion that their presence among the Mboum points back to a period in which throwing knives were actually used. While much has changed today, the hâ still has a place in the modern cultural context of the Mboum (Elsen, De Fer et De fierté, 2003; Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

In 2011, Sotheby’s sold two Mboum scepters for prices exponentially higher than their estimates: 48,750 € (est 4,000 – 7,000€, seen here) and 216,750€ (est. 6,000 – 9000€, seen here). This example closely resembles the scepter that fetched the higher price, with a highly flamboyant shape and a spearhead incised on each tip. 

Ex. Werner Fischer. 

16.75 in :: 42.5 cm

InventoryID #13-1998

SOLD