Execution sword
Date20th century
Maker
Ngombe
Label TextExtreme skill in smelting and forging iron is evident in central African blades. Blacksmiths had acquired special knowledge firsthand that smelting with large amounts of charcoal would create blades as hard as steel. Before use, such blades were polished to a high gleam to appear white, the color of the force of lightning and the realm of the spirit.
Object number81.17.853
Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
Dimensions9 15/16 x 25 13/16 in. (25.2 x 65.5 cm)
MediumIron and wood
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mangbetu culture
late19th - early 20th century
Object number: 2018.18.4
Democratic Republic of the Congo
early 20th century
Object number: 2014.30.1
Democratic Republic of the Congo
20th century
Object number: 2014.30.2
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