Short Sword, ntsakh or fa
Fang, Gabon / Equatorial Guinea / Cameroon
Iron, wood
Late 19th / early 20th century

Normally, I wouldn’t go after a Fang short sword with no sheath and no decoration on the handle, but this one is special. The handle is extra-wide below the crossguard (an older style), and the incising patterns are unusual and executed with precision. The blacksmith’s work on the blade is excellent, with three raised ridges coming together at the point. The end of the blade is uncommonly thin, and the iron shows excellent character and areas of delamination. The handle has a warm patina and shows clear signs of age and – interestingly – no signs of scarring, which suggests it was never decorated with wire wrap or upholstery tacks.

This fine short sword comes from the Fang, who inhabit the rainforest in an area that stretches over three countries. It would have originally been carried in a sheath, called abam, composed of two wooden boards typically covered with stitched lizard skin from the Ornate monitor (Varanus ornatus). While primarily a symbol of status, these blades were also used in a ceremonial context, and are very functional as well, with two sharp cutting edges (Elsen, De fer et de fierté, 2003).

19.125 in :: 48.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2484

Price on Request