A Mangbetu Knife, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Peter and Monica Wengraf, The Arcade Gallery, London

Important Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1975

The Mangbetu are a group of peoples living in northeastern Congo, on lands formerly occupied by the Pygmies, thus constituting an ensemble of diverse origins, cultures and languages. In addition to designating this group of peoples, the word “Mangbetu” also refers in the strictest sense to the aristocracy that established powerful kingdoms during the 19^th century. Living essentially from hoe farming, fishing and harvesting, the Mangbetu were particularly renowned for their art of forging and metalworking. Their weapons, particularly knives, spread to Europe during the 19^th century and are now found in numerous private and public collections. This example shows us one of the most remarkable and recognizable forms of this art, the crescent, as fearsome as it is elegant. Also known as a dupa or mandele, the trumbash blade's characteristic shape demonstrates the Mangbetu smiths' perfect mastery of ironworking. The blackish patina that partly covers the blade also tells us about the context in which these knives were used in the mid-20^th century : whereas they had previously been used as throwing weapons or coins, this type of knife was now only used for festive purposes. To prevent rusting, their blades were therefore coated with palm oil and exposed to smoke.