South African Zimbabwe Shona Rhinoceros Horn Ceremonial Prestige Axe
A Fine South African Zimbabwe Shona Rhinoceros Horn Ceremonial Prestige Axe with Iron Blade
19th Century
Size: 62cm long, 19.5cm wide – 24½ ins long, 7¾ ins wide
19th Century
Size: 62cm long, 19.5cm wide – 24½ ins long, 7¾ ins wide
Axes such as this fashioned from blond rhinoceros horn were not commonly used as weapons. They were insignia of military rank and as such were carried resting on the shoulder into the battlefield by chiefs and commanders.
Axes and knives were preserved as heirlooms amongst the peoples of Southern Africa and transmitted from one generation to the next as important indicators of status. They also preserved and carried an aura of ancestral symbolism.
Axes and knives were preserved as heirlooms amongst the peoples of Southern Africa and transmitted from one generation to the next as important indicators of status. They also preserved and carried an aura of ancestral symbolism.
South African Zimbabwe Shona Rhinoceros Horn Ceremonial Prestige Axe
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