Images(2)

Ceremonial Knife (mbulu or m'boutou)

Artist Ngala artist

Datelate 19th–early 20th century

MediumIron, wood, and leather

DimensionsL. 28 5/8 in. (72.7 cm) x W. 7 in. (17.8 cm)

ClassificationsMetal

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Art Trust Fund Endowment

Object number2013.18

On View

On view

Label TextThe ornate blade of this weapon proclaims the status of the chief who displayed it. Its swooping curves stem from the historical design of an executioner’s knife but have become so abstracted that the knife retains little of its original function.

Iron is extremely difficult to forge, making the design elements achieved by this artist even more remarkable.ProvenanceAcquired in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Vic Turnier, n.d.; sold to Charles Jones African Art, Wilmington, NC, ca. 2002; sold to NCMA, 2013.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement

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