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Knife sheath
Akan knife sheath. The sheath has a shell and a lead model of human teeth attached to it. The red-dyed shell is characteristic of Baule culture (from the Ivory Coast), while the human jaw is more typical of the Akan people (from present-day Ghana) and suggests a trophy attached to the knife to indicate the power of its owner. Before European contact, Akan peoples had migrated into Baule territory and there were extensive trade connections between the Akan and the Baule.
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Object details
| ID: | ZBA2487.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Knife sheath |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Michael Graham-Stewart Slavery Collection. Acquired with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund |
| Parts: |
Akan knife and sheath (Knife)
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