Good Antique Zande Steel Dagger from the Congo

A very beautiful and finely made steel dagger from the Congo region of central Africa probably from the Zande tribe. The steel is wonderfully forged, thin and light but very strong, the blade is double edged and has a deep facetted ridge along the centre to give great rigidity. There is fine geometric chiselling along the fuller and the edges of the blade, the forte has a complex pierced and chiselled steel open-section, very sculptural. The wooden hilt bound with thin steel strip. 19th century. 18 inches approximately