Knife From The Momvu Meje Mangbetu Tribe - Dr Congo Uele Region - 19th African

Senufo - African "Trompe d’appel" - Mid 20th century - Ivory Coast Carved Wooden Statue ethnic furniture - wabi sabi decoration Sénoufo, Ivory Coast. ...

African carved wooden statue - Congo Tribal Art - Congo - African Measures : 15x30cm H:62cm

ethnic furniture - wabi sabi - African art Measures : 15x15cm H:68cm Estimated Date : Mid 20th Century Beautiful Lobi head Altar figure with wood patina of use. This Lobi head is sup...

African carved wooden statue African Art Measures : 15cmx15cm H:70cm Wear consistent with age and use

Throwing Knife (Ngalio) Sara People, Chad, Africa Mid-20th century Material: Iron Height on custom display stand: 28 in. / 71 cm Known as "ngalio", thi...

Before coinage became standardized across West and Central Africa, wealth was often held in iron. In parts of present-day northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon, highly forged th...

A striking example of West African material culture, this Igbo iron currency knife from Nigeria embodies the intersection of economy, artistry, and ritual within traditional African societies. Before the widespread adoption of coinage and paper money, many regions across Africa used forms of metal currency—objects whose intrinsic material value, craftsmanship, and symbolic form made them widely accepted as units of exchange. Among the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, iron currency objects such as knives, rods, and bracelets circulated not only as mediums of trade but also as markers of wealth, social status, and ceremonial exchange. This particular form—often referred to as a currency knife—features an elegantly curved profile with a tapering blade-like extension and finely incised surface decoration. Forged and hand-carved from iron, the piece demonstrates the remarkable skill of traditional blacksmiths, whose work held both practical and spiritual significance in Igbo culture. The etched geometric motifs along the surface speak to a visual language of craftsmanship passed through generations, transforming what was once a utilitarian object into a sculptural artifact rich with cultural meaning. Mounted on a custom-made platform for display, the piece now reads as a refined sculptural object. Its weathered iron patina, subtle textural variations, and dynamic crescent silhouette give it a commanding presence—equally compelling as a collectible ethnographic artifact or as a distinctive decorative accent in a contemporary interior. Today, objects like this Igbo currency...

A sculptural iron form once used as currency among the Mambila and Chamba peoples of northeastern Nigeria and the Cameroon highlands, this forged hoe-shaped object embodies the inter...