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Throwing Knife
Throwing Knife
Throwing Knife

Throwing Knife

Maker
DateCollected in the first half of the twentieth century
PeriodCongo Free State or Belgian Congo
Place MadeDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
MediumIron
Dimensions36.5 x 30.4 x 1.1 cm (14 3/8 x 11 15/16 x 7/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Bessie Sawhill
Object number76.1.88
On View
Not on view
Label TextThrowing knives were made in large numbers across the entirety of central Africa, in different shapes, materials and sizes, depending on their use. While they are lethal weapons, throwing knives were used as talismans, currency, and status symbols. Around the turn of the twentieth century, they were ubiquitous, either attached to a shield, hung on a belt, or carried on the shoulder. Our example was made to be used as a currency token, since it was never sharpened. It may have been used as bridewealth, a gift from the husband’s extended family to the wife’s in recognition of her role in society. 
Titles
  • Trumbash

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