Jet Mbanja- Ngbandi knife; Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, early 20th century.

Jet Mbanja- Ngbandi knife; Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, early 20th century.
Iron and vegetable fibers.
Provenance: Belgian private collection.
Measurements: 47,5 x 34 cm.
Lamado gbo or bo, this type of knife was common among the Ngbandi and Mbanja ethnic groups, who called it ndundu, dondo or ondo. This type was also collected among the Ngbaka, Ngombe and Banda, although in much smaller quantities. The Ngbandi were already carrying throwing knives in 1700, at the time of their second and last migration from their former homeland in what is now the Central African Republic, to their present habitat around the district of Abumombazi in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, this type had already lost its purpose as a weapon long before the beginning of the colonial era, when they were mainly used as emblems of wealth and authority.