ZANDE THROWING KNIFE ‡
19TH CENTURY, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
£353
Classical Ancient Art // Form Through Time
Auction: Form Through Time - 21st March 2024 at 2pm
Description
cast iron with thin twisted plant fibre string binding, the blade of tripartite form with numerous elaborate projections, raised on a bespoke mount
Dimensions
Height: 48.5cm
Provenance
Provenance:
Private collection, Belgium
Footnote
Note:
“Throwing knives comprise a stunning category of African blacksmithing. They are a potent argument against old assertions that creativity easily divides into art and craft. Huge numbers of these implements are disarmingly elegant creations made by master smiths across a swath of central Africa…and were employed across a range of activities from war to pomp and circumstance, to personal adornment to sacred ritual.”
Joyce, T. (2019). Striking Iron: The Art of African Blacksmiths. Fowler Museum: Los Angeles