San hunters are world renowned for their mastery of the physical environment of the Kalahari Desert. Hunting plays a pivotal role in their existence and we have collected knives, spears and bows and arrows created by San hunters. Many of the pieces have been used.
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The San are famous for stalking prey and shooting them with arrows coated with a poison created from the larvae of a local beetle. Stories of the hunt are told time and again. Most of the sets we have brought back do not have the poison on the arrows though some do.
Each bow and arrow set contains five arrows, fire sticks, resins for repairing arrows and a straw used for drinking from the crooks of trees, sometimes the only source of water in the desert. |
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Knives are created from a single piece of wood to create a sheath and a handle with a piece of steel blade forged in fire. These knives are extremely sharp. |
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Approaching a wounded animal can be the most dangerous part of a hunt. San hunters use their spear to ensure that a wounded antelope can not lash out with its horns as they approach. Spears are short, usually not longer than five feet, due in part to the small stature of the San. |
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