H x W x D: 57.8 x 12 x 3.8 cm (22 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 1 1/2 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
More than an object for defense and attack, this short sword is an item of regalia, denoting status and membership in the hierarchical warriors' society of the Salampasu peoples. The Salampasu consist of seven independent clans who live in the south-central portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Short swords of this type were carried and brandished by masked dancers belonging to the warriors' society called mungongo, a governing institution that served to integrate young men into Salampasu society, to foster cooperation among communities when responding to outside threats and to monitor events and discourage violence at community gatherings such as public dances and funerals. Wealthy warriors traditionally controlled material resources including iron-ore sources and raw and worked metal (knives and swords fell into this category), and they exercised authority over the blacksmiths who fashioned implements out of worked metal. Sources indicate that in the early 1960s the Salampasu destroyed their masks and disbanded the mungongo in an effort to reinforce the authority of new chiefs who eschewed more traditional institutions and practices. However, recent research in 1989 documented that initiations and masked dances were still taking place.
The collector of this Salampasu sword, Emil Gorlia, served as a circuit court judge and later as a senior official of the Congo administration, finally becoming secretary general of the Ministry of Colonies. Between 1905 and 1927 he made six extended trips through southern Congo, particularly present-day Shaba province.
Description:
Short iron sword, with a well-wrought broad iron blade ending in a sharp point, includes a well-carved wooden handle ornamented with a lobed tip adorned with copper alloy tacks. The iron blade has an undulating shape; on either side, flared peaks are wrought as decorative elements, and recessed sections on the blade have been blackened. The sheath is made of wood, covered with hide and further embellished with plaited and twined basketry designs. The more highly decorated part of the sheath is the front, which is embellished with raised basketry designs and two iron strips attached about mid-point along each edge. The sheath has been reddened on both sides, probably with camwood.
Provenance:
Emil E.O. Gorlia, Belgian Congo, 1905-1927
Sanford M. Harris, Oak Harbor, Washington, before 1977 to 1999
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