Knife 'ondo' Mbugbu - Banda - DR Congo

Ondo knife Mbugbu/Banda
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Max height: 42 cm
Period: early 20th century
Materials: wrought iron, antelope leather handle.
Provenance: from a Belgian private collection (excellent provenance which will be communicated to the buyer)

The 19th century, marked by unrest, long migrations, and inter-tribal wars, resulted in the dispersion of the Banda, once united over a vast geographical area, now divided into small independent populations speaking around fifty distinct dialects. Similarly, Banda weapons display a wide variety of styles, often radically diverging from traditional aesthetics.

The Banda knives were historically reserved for military use (to stop an enemy force's advance, for example), but their function evolved after the 1920s to include peaceful and spiritual objectives, such as ritual dance instruments. This transformation is the result of the combined decline of conflicts in the 20th century and the persistent emotional connection of the Banda with their knives (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

While some researchers use the presence of an ear (the small pointed protrusion between the wing and the crown) to distinguish Banda knives from the east from those of the west, other researchers have documented knives with an ear originating from groups in the central-southern Banda territories, namely the Mbugbu (Felix, Kipinga, 1991).

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