Zulu Iwisa Knobkerrie
The iwisa, often called the knobkerrie, is a Zulu club made from a single piece of hardwood, with a heavy round knob at the top of a straight or slightly curved handle. It was a close-combat weapon of the Zulu army, carried beside the spear and thrown or swung in the close fights of the impi, and it remained a warrior's constant companion when herding and walking. In peacetime the iwisa became a staff of rank: chiefs, headmen, and later officials carried finely carved examples, and the club is still raised in the air at ceremonies, weddings, and political gatherings as a gesture of authority.