A RHINOCEROS HORN ZULU KNOBKERRIE

South Africa

This rhinoceros horn fighting club Izintonga is of exceptional length and is carved in one piece. It would have been made only for the use of a Zulu king and would have been both prestigious and also powerful; the strength of the animal from which it was taken gave it enormous potency and therefore only a King, a great medicine man, could own it.

Clubs with heads of this size were outlawed by the British who passed a law stating that the diameter of the head had to be of a size small enough to fit into the owner's mouth.

This rhino horn club is believed to have come from the Amboseli National Park in Kenya from a group of rhinos, now extinct,  with a specific genetic make-up which translated into unusually long and straight horns. It is the longest club known to exist and must have been an extremely prestigious item belonging to a chief which was traded from Kenya down to South Africa.

Length 97 cm (38.25 in) Diameter 5.5 cm (2.25 in) 404g (8.9 lb)

Sold with approval of worked item (EC Regulation 865/2006, Article 62(3) - 453-11/12. Therefore this club can be legally traded in the UK without the need for further CITES certification.

The above description is supported by a reputable specialist, Errol Fuller who is a wildlife historian and advisor to the British Antique Dealers Association.

Provenance:
Purchased in 1969 from Geffrey van Vredenburgh, Portobello Road, London W11

Dimensions

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Stock number