Description:

Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mongo peoples, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A pair of ceremonial knives, or short swords, known as Konda (also Ikakalaka), featuring broad iron blades adorned with chiseled lines and a stocky wooden handle topped with a rounded knob. The handle is embellished with brass wires and tacks. The sheaths, crafted from a single piece of wood, feature a central hollowed slit for the blades and a raised area with a piercing for threading onto a strap or belt. Like the handles, the front of the sheaths is covered with brass rivets, and hammered copper sheets on the corners. Although they could function as weapons, Konda were primarily ceremonial, worn by elite men and chiefs at court as symbols of masculine power. Size in sheath: 18" L (45.7 cm); blade only: 12.75" L x 3" W (32.4 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection

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#189417

  • Condition: Old repairs with pitch or resin and nails to one sheath, along the verso to reinforce cracks and pressure fissures. Tears and losses to brass sheets on the corners of sheaths and handles. Missing several tacks. Dark patina and oxidation throughout and mineral deposits.

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October 25, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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