Yaka (Mbeeli Ya Phoko) Sword
Yaka or Suku
Kwango District, Congo- Kasaï, Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Mid- 20th century (ca. 1930 - 1950)
Iron, copper, wood, reptile skin, vegetal fiber
Blade: 37,5cm
Hilt & Blade: 54,9cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 58,7cm
Collection Date: 2024
Collection Number: 425

Ex. Andreas Marks: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (2024)

Sword of the Yaka or Suku people of Southwestern Congo. The double-edged steel blade is raised in the center, with finely incised line and dot decorations along its center ridge. Rounded at the point.

Wood hilt wrapped in reptile skin. Iron and copper rings at the base of grip. Missing the iron pommel spike. Matching reptile skin over wood sheath with a paddle shaped end. Vegetal fiber baldric. While not entirely old, this example is slightly unique as it is wrapped in reptile skin secured by copper wire, while most examples are bound in leather.

Photograph 8: From "Beauté Fatale. Armes d' Afrique Centrale. 1992. Page 246.

• “Beauté Fatale. 1992. Armes d’ Afrique Centrale”. Page 246 – 253, Cat 501

• W. O. Oldman. December 1904. “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”. List No. 21; Item #12 (4271)

• Spring, Christopher. 1993. “African Arms and Armor”. Page 64

• http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=4206

• http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=189

• https://africanarms.com/gallery?yaka-suku-heavy-sword-73-5-cm

• https://ertribal.com/index.php/tribal-art/blades/short-sword-sheath-mbeeli-ya-phoko-yaka-suku-dr-congo

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1910-0420-615-a

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1907-0528-151-a

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1979-01-5108

• https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/355836

• https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/142325