Blade currency
Ngbaka peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Iron
39 x 17.6 x 8.7 cm (15 3/8 x 6 15/16 x 3 7/16 in.)
Collection of Mary E. Cumming
Metal currency came in all sizes and shapes. Some objects appear to have held practical uses other than currency, having been worked into implements such as hoes, blades and throwing knives. Most of these objects, however, are too delicate to have been used. The spearhead currency of the Ngbaka peoples, with its twisted flukes, was known as the "hoe of the spirits," and its use in bridewealth followed a schedule of payments, each hoe serving a different function.