Original Item: Only One Available. This came into England in the early Victorian era around 1840 with returning Explorers. My father who was born in 1905 told me that as a boy he remembered seeing Atlases showing the Continent of Africa with “UNKNOWN” or “UNEXPLORED” printed across the interior. It was the likes of STANLEY and LIVINGSTONE who opened the central part of isolated Africa to the Western World. Our example of an early Central African dagger is most surprising. Totally hand made, the blade looks as if it could be used to flip pancakes or maybe even pizza.
The double edged blade with a very rounded nose is almost 11″ in length and is mounted on a wooden hilt. The thin leather scabbard is sewn with string type cord of Native manufacture and the entire front is covered with small shells all sewn in sequence around two large bone carvings of human faces. It is possible this may date back to the 1700s.
Clearly very old, tribal and primitive, this is an authentic, NOT a tourist item.
A Victorian explorer’s bring back item, ready for display