Knife (c. 1900): Art, History and Details
Knife at the Cleveland Museum of Art: c. 1900, Iron, wood, copper alloy, upholstery studs, plant fibers, and rawhide. Explore the work's context, creator attribution and collection history.
Knife (c. 1900) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
The work and its context
The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:
This beautifully wrought knife served as a symbol of political authority among the Ngala. Quite literally it signified the power of life and death for its form was derived from that of an executioner's knife.
Object facts
- Title: Knife
- Date: c. 1900
- Culture: Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangala-style maker
- Type: Arms and Armor
- Technique: Iron, wood, copper alloy, upholstery studs, plant fibers, and rawhide
- Dimensions: Overall: 57.2 cm (22 1/2 in.); Blade: 41.4 cm (16 5/16 in.)
- Collection: African Art
- Department: African Art
- Accession number: 1916.743
A detail from the museum
Different metals used on this knife result in a variety of colors.
Collection credit
Gift of J. H. Wade
View the collection record
See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.
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