MBOLE-TOPOKE, D. R. CONGO

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There has been a great amount of imaginative misinformation put forth about unusual Congolese knives such as this one. Some have posited they were dropped from trees onto unsuspecting enemies or that their oversized pommels gave them enormous striking power. In reality, they are highly unbalanced and were never meant to be used as actual weapons.

Their true function was as a form of specialized currency. In many parts of Africa, iron is money. The weight of iron of which the knife is composed represents an established value, and as a conspicuous symbol of wealth, the object must be designed for display. Artisan blacksmiths were employed to furnish that important aspect of presentation, crafting lovely and eye-catching shapes to ennoble the mundane and affirm the owner’s prestige. When such knives were presented as a gift to an ally or rival, a reciprocal gift or favor of considerable consequence was an implicit requirement.

This prestige knife features a beautiful, curvaceous blade crowned with three sharp points. Its flanks swell and taper gracefully down to the narrow, wire-wrapped grip, which surmounts a thick and weighty pommel. The symmetrical blade is highly oxidized with age and shows a dark, pitted surface. A fuller runs down its center line, joined by a second, gently bending groove that echoes the blade’s curved silhouette.

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