Ikul Explained

An ikul or ikula is a knife or a short sword of the Kuba of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Uses

The ikul consists of a leaf-shaped blade (iron or copper or wood) and a wooden handle finished with a round knob with sometimes decorative inlays. The blade has a well-marked central edge and can be decorated with engravings.^{[1] [2] [3]} They are ceremonial knives, some of which are made solely of wood (handle and blade) and richly decorated.^{[4] [2]}

The ikul are about 35 centimetres long. According to tradition, King Shyaam aMbul aNgoong would have introduced the ikul in the seventeenth century after a long period of war. The king would then have forbidden the shongo sword to replace it with the ikul, a symbol of peace.

Bibliography

• Jan Elsen, De fer et de fierté, Armes blanches d’Afrique noire du Musée Barbier-Mueller, 5 Continents Editions, Milan, 2003,
• Laure Meyer, Art and Craft in Africa: Everyday Life, Ritual, Court Art, 1995

Notes and References

1. Johanna Agthe, Karin Strauß: Waffen aus Zentral-Afrika. Dezernat für Kultur und Freizeit der Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Museum für Völkerkunde, Frankfurt, 1985., S. 121 (Abb. 109) p. 303
2. Christopher Spring: African Arms and Armour. British Museum Press, London 1993,, p. 89 f.
3. Monica Blackmun Visonà et al.: A History of Art in Africa. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2003., p. 399 (Google-Digitalisat)
4. Colleen E. Kriger: Pride of Men: Ironworking in 19th Century West Central Africa. Heinemann, 1999., p. 170 (Google-Digitalisat)