African Sapo Songye Ceremonial Axe (19th century)

A beautiful African Songye people's tribal ceremonial axe. The axe head of copper construction, set within a carved wooden shaft with hammered copper plating decoration all over.

Axes were employed as symbols of royal power throughout present-day southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola.
Elaborate versions of this functional tool were created as royal scepters that were potent symbols of civilization and cultural achievement. They represented the body of esoteric skills and knowledge associated with ironworking, an activity rich in practical as well as supernatural significance. Indigenous rulers often traced their ancestry back to culture heroes credited with the discovery of iron working, and these metal implements reinforced those dynastic connections and suggested the leaders' control over potent processes of creation and transformation. The wooden handles of royal axes were often highly decorated, covered with exquisitely carved motifs or encased in precious metals or animal hides.

Reference: https://www.metmuseum.org/

Date: 20th Century
Origin: Songye people
Country: Democratic Republic of Congo
Material: Wood / Copper alloy
Height: 32 cms 
Width: 17 cms