Spear

Datelate 1800s-early 1900s

Mediumiron with heat blackening, brass wire and wood

Dimensions96.5 cm (38 in.), 14 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.621

Label TextThis short spear was used for close-quarters fighting. It is similar to the iklwa, a weapon adopted by the Zulu under their chieftain Shaka in the early 1800s. Use of the iklwa was one of Shaka’s military reforms that led to the Zulu becoming a dominant military power in the region.ProvenancePresented to the Museum on December 4, 1928 by Adrian Van Leeuwen, Worcester, MA.
Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

On View

On view

Current Location