Tshimpaba (Chief's Sword) (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
An example of chiefly regalia, this sword bears symbols of royal stature from its animal-headed grip to the end of its rounded blade. The leopard-headed handle, with mouth open and fangs bared, is a key symbol of ruling power. The cutout on the end of the blade, a four-pointed star surrounded by four bars, represents the dikenga, the Kongo sign for the life cycle on which this gallery’s layout is based. Dikenga symbols are also prominent on the Kongo mother-and-child statue on the nearby pedestal. The raised forms, or glyphs, along the blade’s edge refer to the chief’s genealogy and region.
not signed
Kathleen Boone Samuels Memorial Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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