Asymmetrical Dagger
Mbuun / Dzing, D.R. Congo
Iron, wood, brass, copper, brass upholstery tack
Early 20th century

The Mbuun are spread over a large area in southwestern D.R. Congo and live in clusters among other cultures such as the Dzing. They believe in a supreme being, Nzem-Mpung, and share many commonalities with the Pende and the Kuba. The Mbuun believe that ghosts of their dead go to the subterranean world, where only the most powerful can survive.

Looking at this dagger with a lozenge shape in the handle and in the  incisions, it is interesting to note Marc Felix’s comment: “Mbuun art is very stylized and angular… it is highly highly decorated with geometric designs of great precision, of which the lozenge is foremost” (Felix, 100 Peoples of Zaire and Their Sculpture: The Handbook, 1987).

8 in :: 20.5 cm

InventoryID #13-1864

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