A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

  • A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger

A Fine Azande Ivory Arm Dagger
Azande / Bandia / Banziri / Kreish / Sere / Bongo / Adio or neighboring people
Upper Ubangi- Ubangi- Shari, French Congo (Central African Republic) - Uélé- Ubangi District, Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Dār Fertit - Bahr el Ghazail Ango- Egyptian Sudan (Western Bahr el Ghazal, Sudan
Early 20th century (ca. 1900 - 1925)
Steel, ivory (elephant), leather, skin (crocodile)
Blade: 22,2cm
Hilt & Blade: 31,2cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 33,7cm
Collection Date: 2023
Collection Number: 379

Ex. French Private Collection (2023)

The Azande arm dagger is similar to other arm daggers that can be found across Africa with minor differences in form and materials. This is a fine example from the Azande or closely neighboring people between the Central African Republic, Congo, and South Sudan.

The steel blade is straight, double- edged, tapering into a narrow, sharp point. A shallow central fuller is present with two more shallow outside fullers along the blade's edge. Hour glass flared hilt carved from elephant ivory decorated in black circle- dot motifs. The sheath is leather with crocodile skin. Attached is the leather braided arm loop. This piece is from the early 20th century with these types not as common as the typical northern Arab Sudanese arm daggers often encountered.