Shilluk Spear Head
Shilluk Spear Head
Shilluk Kingdom - White Nile - Greater Upper Nile, Sudan - Mahdist Sudan (South Sudan)
Shilluk
Last quarter of the 19th century (ca. 1875 - 1900)
Steel
Blade: 21 3/4" (54.3cm)
Blade & Socket: 25 7/8" (65.7cm)
Collection Date: 2021
Collection Number: 153
Ex. Rick Stroud (RSWORD) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (2021)
A fine old and large Shilluk warrior spear head dating to the last half 19th century. With quality steel and workmanship, robust older examples like these are harder to find. The heavy and elongated leaf- shaped steel blade is double- edged. Forged with a strong medial ridge that extends to the point. The base of the blade and upper socket are deeply incised with notched edges, horizontal lines, and geometric cross- hatched designs distinct to Shilluk craftsmanship. The steel socket extends downward to a conical opening for the insertion of a wooden shaft, now missing.
A quality old spearhead of heavy steel and excellent craftsmanship. It presents itself as one of the nicest Shilluk spears that I have found. An old museum collection tag is attached with basic information, including a catalog date of 7-8-93. Likely captured or traded during the British Conquest of Sudan from the strategic outpost of Fashoda to the twin Nile Cities of Omdurman / Khartoum.
Photograph 13: Three Shilluk warriors, titled, “Shilluk Wariiors”. Upper Nile, Sudan, ca. 1910. Published by “The Gordon Stationary & Bookstores, Khartoum”.
Photograph 14: Shilluk warriors with a uniformed officer, Khartoum, Sudan, early 20th century.
Photograph 15: Shilluk wariiors, 1925.
Photograph 16: Shilluk Warriors, titled, “Guardians of the Plane: Shilluk Warriors of the Sudan”, 1928.
[1] https://collections.penn.museum/collections/object/243164
[2] https://collections.penn.museum/collections/object/97335
[3] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-143823
[4] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-131378
[5] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1972-11-37
[6] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1923-0710-43
[7] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1972-11-54
[8] https://africanarms.com/gallery?shilluk-spear-point-99-x-8-8-cm-1-5-kg-weight
[9] https://africanarms.com/gallery?shilluk-before-1880-188-cm-62-x-10-5-cm