As surely as the knife can harvest the crops, it can be used to maim or kill. Both the blacksmith and the material he works mediate power between life and death.

The long handled throwing knife, called sai ("serpent") by the Ingessana people, has intricate incised patterns on the blade's surface representing a snake, lizard, and spider. It is carried by most adult males as a fashion accessory rather than an object of power and prestige.

Throwing Knife, sai
Ingessana - Sudan
iron, 31.25"h x 5"w x 0.375"d

Life Force at the Anvil
The Blacksmith's Art from Africa

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