Throwing knife, kpinga basa
Nzakara / Western Zande, Central African Republic / D.R. Congo
Iron
Early 20th century

This type of throwing knife, known as kpinga basa, is a variation on the much more common Z-shaped throwing knives of the Nzakara and the Zande.

The distinction of which tribal group - the Zande or the Nzakara - from which this piece originates isn't of great significance, as both groups are "offshoots from the same root," which both utilized this weapon-type. Most examples were collected from three kingdoms in the northern D.R. Congo and southern Central African Republic: the Bangassu Kingdom (Nzakara), the Rafai Kingdom (western Zande), and the Djabir Kingdom (western Zande). 

While historically used as a weapon amongst the sophisticated armies of the Zande and Nzakara, this type of throwing knife became obsolete in the 20th century, and became more an object of symbolism than function. In particular, they were used in ceremonies honoring the ancestors, wielded during funerals of powerful men, and even thrown onto or buried in gravesites. Potent symbols of power, they were considered to be the prerogative of nobility, and were often hoarded and protected in storehouses; only select men had the privilege of keeping a kpinga in his home (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

16.5 in :: 42 cm

InventoryID #13-1414

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