BAKWELE, CONGO
WOOD, BRASS, IRON, HEIGHT 48CM

In the 19th century the Bakwele fled eastwards from their traditional homelands after their neighbours and rivals acquired rifles from the Europeans, probably as a result of the slave trade. They now reside in an isolated area on the northern frontier of the Republik of the Congo. The Bakwela were traditional hunters and as such this meat axe was a necessary tool. The axe is richly decorated with exquisite engraving.