Oromo Iron Blade with Scabbard

Meet a dark, leaf-shaped blade with a ridged spine and a collar of white and black rings.

This blade with scabbard is Oromo, from Ethiopia, East Africa, and dates to the 19th century. It is leather, wood, silver & iron. The Oromo are among the largest peoples of Ethiopia, and their material culture includes leatherwork, woodwork and metalwork made for daily life and display. The broad blade narrows to a point, with a raised central ridge and a dark reddish surface marked by small bumps. A short grip is ringed with white and black bands, ending in a flared, flat pommel. It is 16.5 inches high.

Banded like a striped sock, serious as a sermon.