Knife "bwambwa" - Ngbaka - DR Congo

• Old, large and very heavy knife "bwambwa"

• Ethnicity: Ngbaka

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Total height: 44.5 cm

• Period: early 20th century (possibly late 19th century)

• Weight: 625 g

• Provenance: Swedish auction house; ex collection Sven-Erik Johansson, Varberg - Sweden

— This model of knife was invented by the Ngbaka, but was adopted and widely used by the Ngombe. The Ngbaka recounted how their cultural hero, Seto, wore one, and they described it as the “wife” of another of their blades, the za sali, which was the husband.

— The manufacture of Ngbaka knives required several days of forging work and was costly. Although they could be used effectively as weapons, their value made such an act impractical; Westerdijk wrote: “its owner would only throw it as a last resort, or when he felt he had a good chance of recovering it.” As a result, the primary role of this weapon was as a symbol of power, wealth, and prestige. Known by the name ngwolo or bwambwa, this type of weapon was mainly carried by village chiefs, elders of the lineage, and other notables as a symbol of prestige. They were brandished at important funerals, used during initiation ceremonies, and even worn by the police during the colonial period (Westerdijk, The African Throwing Knife, 1988).

— Last photograph of an Ngbaka chief and his knife.

— Careful and insured delivery with tracking number.