Dogan Authority Spearhead
Dogan Authority Spearhead
Dogan or Mossi People
French West Africa (Mali - Burkina Faso)
Late 19th - Early 20th century (ca. 1890 - 1920)
Iron, brass
Blade: 33,2cm
Blade & Socket: 53,3cm
Collection Date: 2019
Collection Number: 50
A large spearhead blade from the Dogan or Mossi people of West Africa that is highly decorated and would have been used as a spear of authority or prestige. The wide iron blade is leaf shaped, flared, and rounded at its base before upcurving into an acute point. Both sides of the blade are highly decorated with stippled etchings and geometric patterns. The etchings represent people at the base with a tree extending upwards connected to a sun.
The steel socket is also intricately decorated with linear and geometric incisions and engravings with two brass ring sections. A brass panel is riveted to the socket on both sides, which would have held the blade in place with the shaft, now missing. An uncommon spearhead with a lot of work placed into its detail, made for an important individual.