Some kind of Knife?

Hi! I posted here a couple days ago about some statues (possible Teke).

I have since found this that was in the box with the then.

Does anyone have any info at all?

No clue about it, although I can see in the back there is “0900” so I’m leaning towards not authentic. Even so, what would this be for?

Thank you

 

It’s also just under 22cm in length too’

 

It doesn't look like a traditional piece to me, but it looks vaguely familiar.
Maybe inspired by Indian Dhokra ware or Ashanti bronzes, but I am still thinking where I've seen that type of depiction before.

 

Eh, to my eye, has a sort of pre-Columbian look to it. Just some random thoughts - when I see a '0900' mark like that on silver (is this made of silver?), usually think South American, often Colombian - but this looks to me more like a modern interpretation of a Caribbean Taino zemi/cemi god with petroglyphs. Pretty much all I've got, and don't have much time, but did poke around a bit to see if there might be something similar from the related South American Arawak, but still keep coming back to Taino - here is a sort of similar bone Taino spatula:


https://www.finch-and-co.co.uk/artwork-detail/813336/18676/caribbean-dominican-republic-taino




~Cheryl

 

That's it! I knew I had seen a similar figure before.
Vomit spatula, you'll be the envy of all your friends.

 

Tunjo or votive figure, Muisca, Colombia:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunjo

 

Ahhh - a Colombian connection...


~Cheryl

 

I changed the photo, found one more like OP's, but also Colombian.

 

Vomit spatula??? Oh wow hahaha, that’s great!!

So you think this was just a souvenir too?

 

Since the Muisca votive figures are pre-Columbian, yes, yours would be a souvenir.
I don't know if the Muisca even had vomit spatulas like the Taino did, they are two very different cultures.
Maybe the maker threw two cultures together to create a whole new art form.

An article on the cohoba ritual and Taino vomit spatulas, enjoy:
https://smarthistory.org/taino-zemis-and-duhos/

 

it's a letter opener....

 

Thank you guys for your answers, you’re all amazing with your knowledge!

 

Very nice find! The Muisca are not familiar to me, so good to see this when I came back in.

Just back in from setting up Presh's grooming stand to finish brushing out 'bags o' fur' (biannual blowing of her coat), and fortunately, since we both hate the whole process, some rain blew in, so threw a tarp over it all and put it off another day...

~Cheryl

 

Ya SNIPED me!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Without the Muisca the world wouldn't have had the legend of El Dorado. El Dorado was not a country, but it was 'The Gilded One', the chief of the Muisca.
https://colombia.travel/en/blog/muisca-raft-symbol-el-dorado

A Muisca model of the ceremony of El Dorado:

https://alchetron.com/Muisca-raft

I am glad you and Preshy were rescued by the rain, good luck for next time.