Leaf knife lanceolate · possible ikul
Reference: Not registered
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Wide and lanceolate metal blade, with sharp tip, narrowing next to the handle and surfaces marked by longitudinal lines. The woody-looking handle has a central area…
Provisional editorial description. See the study and the checks still outstanding below.
Enquire about this objectPhotographs (3)
Full original description
The source record does not contain usable historical text. Its full contents are preserved in the private archive for review.
Further technical information
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Editorial study and sources
Editorial study of the collection · November 1, 2026. The original record is kept in the documentary archive.
Wide and lanceolate metal blade, with sharp tip, narrowing next to the handle and surfaces marked by longitudinal lines. The woody-looking handle has a central area wrapped in metallic thread and enlarged rivets. The three photographs allow us to observe the whole and the connection between leaf and handle.
The shape of the blade and the construction of the hilt allow us to propose, by comparison, a knife of the ikul type, associated with the kuba of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Smithsonian documents this typology as an object of prestige and male ceremonial clothing.
This is a temporary typological identification: the original record lacks name, culture, country and measures. The photograph does not confirm the alloy of the sheet, the date of manufacture or the specific use of this specimen.
Sources for context and comparison
- Smithsonian · National Museum of African Art: Knife, 2002-22-6 ↗
Tipología ikul y uso como objeto de prestigio kuba; no identifica este ejemplar.
Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
