"Sengese" Throwing Knife

Origin: Matakam Tribe, Nigeria
Composition: forged iron, leather

One of the most beautiful African weapons is the "Sengese" throwing knife of the Matakam who live in the Mandara mountains of northern Nigeria. Throwing knives from this stylistic province (SP III), which encoumpasses Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, are characterized by their considerable weight, which makes them more hand weapons and prestige objects rather than classical throwing knives (Ref: Fisher "Afrikanische Waffen"; Westerdijk, "The African Throwing Knife").

The undated photograph below is © Manfred Zirngibl.