Serpent Bayonet Sanegue
Turka / Bobo / Gurunsi / Lobi, Burkina Faso
Iron, leather, vegetal fiber
Late 19th / early 20th century

The presence of this type of bayonet among soldierly troops in Burkina Faso was well documented in the 19th century. While their design as a functional weapon is apparent, their serpentine shape seems to be both functional (for resting on the shoulder), and possibly also spiritual, to align with the tradition of invoking the protective and curative powers of snakes in forged iron. Multiple references cite the way in which the triangular shape and geometric incisions are modeled to mimic a snakeskin.

These pieces were confiscated by the French from 1915-19, which was followed by the disappearance of the form and the Turka blacksmiths who created them. The reappearance of these forms in the 1990s suggests that the few examples that weren't confiscated a century ago were successfully hidden for generations (Berardi, Standing on Ceremony, 2004; Blandin, Fer Noire, 1992; Roy, Land of the Flying Masks, 2007).

Published, Roy, Land of the Flying Masks, 2006, plate 23 (+ detail photo).

34.5 in :: 88 cm

InventoryID #13-2358

Price on Request