Accession Number
1998/1.75

Title
Knife

Artist(s)
Kuba

Artist Nationality
Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style)

Object Creation Date
20th century

Medium & Support
brass and aluminum

Dimensions
15 13/16 in x 3 5/8 in x 2 3/8 in (40.1 cm x 9.2 cm x 6 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Susan B. and John F. Ullrich

Subject matter
With its characteristic leaf-like shape and dulled blade, the ceremonial knife or, ikul, was introduced as a peaceful replacement to the warrior throwing knife. It is typically carried by men as a symbol of prestige, warriorhood and authority. As a ceremonial object, It would also have been part of a noble man's daily costume, worn on the right side under the belt. At times, representations of an ikul could also be found on an Ndop: a carved figurative sculpture created to commemorate a Kuba king.

The geometric patterns on the handle of this knife are similar to patterns found on Kuba textile, basketry, sculpture, and female body scarifications. The diamond patterns on both the bulb portion of the handle and the blade are created through a crossing and interlocking of lines. A double crossing can possibly be considered a reference to Woot, the mythical founder of the Kuba, whose mother invented mat weaving.

References:
Daniel Biebuyck, The Arts of Zaire, 1985
Georges Meurant, African Textiles from the Kingdom of Kuba, 1986
Roy Sieber, African Textiles and Decorative Arts, 1972
Jan Vansina, The Children of Woot, 1978

Physical Description
Leaf-shaped knife with diamond pattern consisting of interlocking lines running down the center of the blade. The handle has several diamond patterns consisting of intersecting lines. 

Primary Object Classification
Metalwork

Primary Object Type
knife

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
carvings (visual works)
geometric patterns
knife
metalwork (visual works)
prestige