Throwing Knife, moko-ndo
Ngbaka Mabo, Central African Republic / D.R. Congo
Iron, copper, vegetable fiber
Late 19th / early 20th century

Mabo throwing knives, collectively known as ndo were used as weapons of war, prestige objects, and currency blades. As reported by Poutrin (1910), no Ngbaka Mabo man ever left his village without carrying his spears and throwing knife, even in times of peace.

Their importance as missiles seems to have been rather small; when used in battle, they functioned mainly as handweapons. Their role as tokens of dignity and badges of office seems to have prevailed over any martial role. In the hands of lineage heads, hunting chiefs, and religious specialists, they functioned as signs of authority and rank. Leaders of an antiwitchcraft cult, the so-called wama, carried examples of this type during part of their ceremonies.

This piece is incised with spider motifs, which alludes to the spider's important role as the hero in many Mabo folk tales. The grip on this example consists of an old woven vegetable fiber grip covered by copper wrap (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

15 in :: 38 cm

InventoryID #13-1559

SOLD