Original Victorian Era Zulu Warrior Knobkerrie War Club with 3 ½” Diameter Head
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Original Item: Only One Available. The Zulu Wars ended in 1879 with the complete rout of the Zulus at the Battle of Ulundi. Earlier in 1879 the British had suffered a terrible defeat by the Zulu Nation at the Battle of Isandlwana followed by the famous action at Rorke's Drift the subject of the well-known film ZULU starring Michael Kane and Stanley Baker.
This is a classic Zulu knobkerrie, however, it has a short shaft of just 22 ¾” but has a relatively large 3 ½” diameter top ball. Clearly of considerable age and most probably dating to the Victorian period, the wood is somewhat lighter in weight than expected indicating that it was either used by a young warrior or intended for ceremonial purposes, nevertheless a very attractive knobkerrie worthy of any display.
A Knobkierie, also spelled knobkerrie, knopkierie or knobkerry, is a form of club used mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for throwing at animals in hunting or for clubbing an enemy's head. The knobkierie is carved from a branch thick enough for the knob, with the rest being whittled down to create the shaft.
The name derives from the Afrikaans word knop, meaning knot or ball and the Nama (one of the Khoekhoe languages) word kierie, meaning cane or walking stick. The name has been extended to similar weapons used by the natives of Australia, the Pacific islands and other places.
Knobkieries were an indispensable weapon of war, particularly among southern Nguni tribes such as the Zulu (as the iwisa) and the Xhosa. Knobkieries was occasionally used during World War I. The weapon also being carried by British soldiers in Siegfried Sassoon's fictionalized autobiography.
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