Throwing Knife, "Bwambwa" or "Ngwolo"

Throwing Knife, "Bwambwa" or "Ngwolo"

$695.00
  • Ngombe, D.R. Congo 

  • Iron, vegetal fiber (grip is an indigenous replacement from the 1950s)

  • Early 20th century 

  • Dimensions:

  • Provenance: Luc Lefebvre, France; Jacques Billen, Brussels; Pier Giorgio Cerrini, Brussels (his inventory number is on the back of the spur).

This throwing knife design was invented by the Ngbaka but adopted and widely used by the Ngombe. The Ngbaka spoke of how their cultural hero, Seto, carried one, and referred to this type as the "wife" of another of their blades, the za sali, who was the husband. 

Ngbaka throwing knives took an expert blacksmith several days to produce, and were expensive. While they could be effectively thrown as weapons, their value made such an act impractical; Westerdijk writes, "its owner hurled it only in the last resort, or when he esteemed to have a fair chance of recovering it." As such, this weapon's primary role was that of an emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Known as ngwolo or bwambwa, this blade type was mainly carried by village heads, lineage elders, and other notables as a symbol of prestige. They were brandished during important funerals, used in initiation ceremonies, and even carried by police during the colonial period (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

Domestic shipping included. International shipping quoted separately.

Inquire | Sign up to get our emails

Add To Cart
Hide-Shaped Currency "Suu" or "So," Mambila / Mfumte, Nigeria Hide-Currency-Mambila-Mfumte-Mfunte-Morgan-Oakes-Tribal-San-Francisco-1a.jpg

Hide-Shaped Currency "Suu" or "So," Mambila / Mfumte, Nigeria

$950.00
Mabo Throwing Knife "moko-ndo," Central Africa Moko-Ndo-Throwing-Knife-Ngbaka-Mabo-Morgan-Oaks-Tribal-San-Francisco-1a.jpg

Mabo Throwing Knife "moko-ndo," Central Africa

$1,400.00
Elaborately Decorated Short Sword, Kalemie Kalemie-06b.jpg

Elaborately Decorated Short Sword, Kalemie

$1,100.00
SOLD: Katanga Cross Copper Currency front side view of Katanga Cross Copper Currency from Luba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. Made from puddle-cast solid copper
Sold

SOLD: Katanga Cross Copper Currency

$395.00
Extra Large Curved Hoe Currency #Q1W front view of Extra Large Curved Hoe Currency #11 from Angas, Nigeria, Africa. Made from iron

Extra Large Curved Hoe Currency #Q1W

$1,800.00