KUBA IKUL KNIFE 116, DRC

The knife below has been vetted as authentic.

Photographs © Hamill Gallery

KUBA
IKUL KNIFE 116
Iron, wood, wire
14" high x 3 3/4" wide x 2 1/4" deep
DRC
$350

"Knives in this form, known as ikul, were the personal property of Kuba men and were worn on the right hip during ceremonial occasions that demanded the wearing of traditional dress. According to oral tradition the ikul was introduced by king Shyaam a Mbul aNgoong in the early 17th century as an emblem of peace. It was intended to contrast with the lethal throwing knives that the king opposed as inflicting harm without risk, and the equally lethal but more personal combat of the war sword. The king banned the wearing of the war sword in peacetime unless it was sheathed in cloth."

---Smithsonian National Museum of African Art: Collections | National Museum