Object Details
- Label Text
- While generally attributed in the literature to the Poto peoples, this type of sword with its hide wrapped pommel and broad split blade was found among several neighboring peoples along the upper Congo River, including the Ngombe and the Ngbandi peoples. It was routinely carried by men. The hide pommels contained protective herbal medicines and, although not now retaining visible fur, would have been made of civet cat or leopard. These felines were clever predators, and their fur was prized as emblems of status and high rank.
- Description
- Broad iron blade, with a pointed tip, incised linear decoration and an oval opening where the "ears" flare on the sides. The top portion of the blade is an open and divided oval form. The triangular hilt guard is covered in copper sheeting, and the handle shaft is wrapped in copper alloy wire strips. The pommel is wrapped in roughly a spherical form of stitched hide.
- Provenance
- Glen Rhodes, McLean, Virginia, -- to 2002
- Published References
- Hurst, Norman. 1997. Ngola: The Weapon as Authority, Identity, and Ritual Object in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge: Hurst Gallery, pp. 24-25, no. 26.
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Poto artist
- Date
- Late 19th-early 20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. Glen Rhodes
- Medium
- Iron, brass, wood, hide
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 69.9 x 10.8 x 8.4 cm (27 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 3 5/16 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
