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Artworks
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Reproduced in De fer et de fierté: Armes blanches d'Afrique noire du musée Barbier-Mueller, 2003, a Songye blacksmith holding a similar axe
Songye Axe
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Early 20th century
Iron, copper, wood
Height: 16 inches (40.8 cm) Width: 10 5/8 inches (27 cm)
Rather than weapons, magnificent and large axes were employed as symbols of power among the Songye people of present day Democratic Republic of the Congo. Created as royal scepters, these axes were potent symbols of cultural and technical achievement associated with iron working, an activity rich with supernatural significance. Its complex form and construction indicate that it was forged by a master smith. Hot iron was used to form the curved blade and its struts. Once cooled, hammer and chisel were used to craft the human faces representing miniature Kifwebe masks. The axe's handle is covered with copper sheeting matching the opulence of the blade.
