Zulu Throwing Spear (Assegai) necklace woven from the roots of

woven from the roots of the Makenge bush (Cryptolepis oblongifolia)

though their precise purpose in funerary contexts remains uncertain

Wear commensurate with age and use

Among all beads circulating in Africa

with traces of red

Zulu Throwing Spear (Assegai) necklace woven from the roots ofZulu People, Late 19th Century, South Africa An exceptional late 19th century Zulu assegai throwing spear, featuring a long, finely forged and flattened steel blade mounted onto a slender, polished hardwood shaft with tightly woven sinew bindings. Elegant yet deadly, this type of spear was among the most common and effective weapons in sub Saharan Africa before the advent of firearms. The design, relatively light with a heavy tapered blade, made it