Throwing Knife
Teda (Tubu / Tibesti / Kaba), Chad / Sudan
Forged iron
Late 19th/early 20th century

Produced in the birthplace of the African throwing knife, this piece comes from the northern half of the republic of Chad, an immensely extensive area of semidesert and desert. The Teda were known as freedom-loving horsemen and camel riders who were renowned for their bravado and infamous for their treacherous brigandage.

More modern examples of this type are made of European scrap iron that lacks the brightly shining rich luster of the earlier pieces (which this example exhibits).

Throwing knives were used by the Teda both as hand weapons and as missiles for war and hunting (when thrown in war, the hurler used a horizontal throw). Besides being used as weapons, they were also used by men and women alike as dancing implements, as the symbolism of this weapon type is deeply rooted in the tradition and history of the Teda (Felix, Kipinga, 1991; Fischer & Zirngibl, Afrikanische Waffen, 1978; Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

Published: Lefebvre, Luc. The Throwing Knives: The Northern Knives. 2019. Plate 95.

26 in :: 66 cm

InventoryID #13-1030

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