Kondo (sickle-sword)
Datelate 1800s–early 1900s
Mediumiron, copper, wood
Dimensions82 × 19 × 6 cm (32 5/16 × 7 1/2 × 2 3/8 in.)
Weight: 1 lb. 6 oz.
Weight: 1 lb. 6 oz.
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.96
DescriptionSingle edge blade with short false edge. Hollow ground on reverse face. Obverse with geometric chiseling running full length. Elongated oval hole with chiseled edges cut into center of ricasso parallel to blade axis. Wooden hilt wrapped with copper wire around lower portion of slightly flattened oval grip which narrows to mushroom-shaped pommel. Lightly serrated on convex edge.Label TextWeapons of this type are sometimes misleadingly referred to as "throwing knives" or "African boomerangs." The shape of this sword does echo traditional throwing sticks used in hunting and warfare, and the knob near the base of the blade may be a vestigial remnant of a long, sharp projection found on versions of the "throwing knife" which may actually have been intended for throwing. Nonetheless, the solid grip on this example suggests that it was intended to be firmly held by the wielder. The variants in this family of weapons are innumerable, and their purposes are not always clear. Some are known to have been used in combat, but ritual and ceremonial purposes are also common, and some "throwing knives" were actually used as currency. This sword is sharpened only on the inside curve and tip. Many African swords have similar arcing profiles, which would have allowed them to be used as piercing weapons to attack around the shields typically carried by warriors in Africa.ProvenanceOn permanent loan from Andover Newton Theological School (Andover, MA) on 22 March 1946; a formal gift from the school on 22 September 1999. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
On View
Not on viewCollections
