KOTA, GABON

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Often called a ‘bird head’ knife for its resemblance to the African Hornbill (Calao), the onzil or musele knife was a symbolic emblem of religious prestige and social authority that was never intended for use as a knife. The knife was made by the Fang people of Gabon, renowned for their refined sculptural forms, particularly reliquary heads.

Although classified as a knife, the onzil was never used as a functional weapon. Instead, being closely associated with its owner, it was worn as a symbol of social status in life, and then placed on their tomb alongside the reliquary figures in death.

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