The knife was introduced by an early Kuba king as a peaceful replacement for the more warlike throwing knife. The hilt is exquisitely decorated by insets of copper, brass and zinc wire bits into the wood. It costs 5,000 cowrie shells in 1910, which at the time could also have purchased eight yards of European trade cloth.
ex Marc and Denyse Ginzberg collection
Brass, copper, zinc, wood
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