KOTA, Gabon. Iron, copper, metal, wood. A superb "Osélé or Musélé" throwing knife with a blade in the shape of a bird's beak with a blackened centre and a hollowed-out triangle evoking an eye. This prestigious weapon, reserved for the initiates of Mungala society, is finely decorated with engraved geometric motifs. Length: 35 cm. Width: 25.5 cm. Provenance: Collected in situ between 1957 and the early 1960s by Marie-Louise Demeyer 80 km from Makokou in the northern Ogoué-Ivindo region. Note: According to the notes and photos submitted by the family, Marie-Louise Demeyer and her husband were part of a camp of a dozen households and 500 workers, who looked after the preservation of rare species, mainly primates. The camp was based in the primary forest of Gabon, in Gorilla country (northern Ogoué-Ivindo). Two Osélé throwing knives are shown in the photo of the base camp.