Fine Small Mangbetu Sape
Mangbetu, Abarambo, or neighboring Tribe
Bas- Uélé- Haut- Uélé District, Orientale Province, Congo Free State - Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Early 20th century (ca. 1900 - 1920)
Steel, elephant ivory
Blade: 12,1cm
Hilt & Blade: 18,4cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2022
Collection Number: 271

A fine small example of the Mangbetu sape. The Mangbetu are renowned for their fine craftsmanship, carving of knives, musical instruments, horns, hairpins, pipes, and other crafts such as pottery and sculpture. Pieces such as these were created to demonstrate wealth and status.

This example is the smaller type. The double-edged steel blade is leaf shaped and tapers to a point with a slightly raised center. Hilt carved from elephant ivory. Early 20th century.

Photo 6: Ayana, an Abarambo woman. Photographed by Herbert Lang in Poko, August 1913.

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• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1954-23-1560

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1934-0308-4

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1934-0308-1-a-b

• https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/58944

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• https://oriental-arms.com/product/very-good-sape-mangbetu-dagger/

• http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=5850

• http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=6091

• http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=6477

• http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?3-mangbetu-16-4-cm

• http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?3-mangbetu-with-scabbard-22-cm

• http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s971_full.html

• https://www.rswordantiqueblades.com/gallery-2#/new-gallery-50/