Nkutshu Oshele or Knife Currency, Based

Reddish rust, curved edges and a shape that argues with itself.

Nkutshu craftsmen of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, forged this oshele or knife currency in iron in the 20th century. Iron knife forms like this are commonly associated with payment, status and exchange in Central Africa rather than with practical cutting. A stem carries a swooping, beaked upper blade, and lower blades flare in opposite directions. The surface is mottled with orange, brown and dark oxide. A small black stand holds it upright.

About 22.5 inches tall. Think of it as abstract sculpture with a past.