Ceremonial sword (ngulu)

Most likely made by an Ngombe smiths, this heavily decorated asymmetrical iron blade with an embellished wooden handle is a ceremonial sword, or ngulu. The smith created the pattern on the blade by chasing (creating depth and high points on the surface of the metal) with a pointed hammer with another hammer along the heated blade. Once the metal was cold, the smith used a series of short strokes with a sharp metal tool to create the impression of a solid, thin line around the length of the blade. 

Swords like this one were valuable symbols of prestige more than weapons. The ngulu sickle blade (also called ngolo, ngwolo, m'bolo, gulu, ntsaka, bwakoya, or mbeli na banzi) is often erroneously labeled an "executioner's knife" in European and American publications. While many stories claim that these blades were used for the execution of animals or even humans, there is little evidence of such practices. These stories more likely reflect 19th and 20th century racism about Africans than the reality of how Ngombe men used their swords.