#kpinga

The kpinga is a three-bladed throwing weapon from the Azande people of Central Africa. It functions similarly to a Japanese shuriken: the three blades are positioned so that a point is almost always going into the target. Warriors carried several hidden behind their shields, and the weapon could be thrown either overhand or sidearm, giving it a variety in its angles of attack from a distance. There are countless variations on the weapon, some of which have blades shaped to symbolize a warrior’s virility, if you catch my meaning. The blade was also used as part of a dowry payment in marriages.

Kpinga (throwing knife), Congo, 19th century.