Ceremonial axe
Sudan, North Sudan, Mahdist
sold
EUR 1,000
Provenance
Alexander Kubetz (1946-2023), Munich, GermanySize
L: 68 cm (shaft) / 25,5 cm (blade)
L: 26.8 inch (shaft) / 10.0 inch (blade)
Description
metal, leather remnants,
The axe blade is decorated with patterns and cartouches containing Arabic inscriptions. Patterns and writing are accentuated with inlaid silver wire.
The axe was probably made in northern Sudan by Mahdist smiths, before the collapse of the Mahdist state following the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.
It is likely to have been carried as a symbol of power by some members of the Mahdist army.