Beautiful Somalian long knife with ivory, horn, zinc and brass mounted hilt

A very beautiful and sculptural long knife ‘Billa’ or bellawa from Somalia. The hilt stylishly formed of sections of elephant ivory, very rare, these daggers are normally found with plain horn hilts, layered together with strips of black horn, metal probably zinc. The pommel with curiously shaped mounts, the central with chiselled decoration and capped with brass. The grip with thick brass layers between the horn and metal. The blade is of good stout steel, double edged, asymetric in shape and facetted to the surfaces.. Circa 1900.   africa