Length: 88cm (39in)
Wood, copper, brass and iron wire. Wire bound wood with cow hide covered head, the haft applied with a silver escutcheon inscribed 'Recovered from / THE ROYAL KRAAL / ULUNDI / by Officers of the / 17TH REGT. 1879.’
The present ‘Iwisa' or prestige sceptre is consistent with Zulu prestige knopkieries, with key traits that include the spherical wooden head and a shaft wrapped in tightly coiled decorative wire. The presence of wire strongly aligns with Zulu traditions. Elaborate wirework reflected both the bearer's prestige and the artisan's skill. Among the Zulu, such items primarily served as ceremonial objects and rank insignia, not weapons. Carried by chiefs or military leaders, they signified authority and status during rituals and public events. These staff were more than visual markers; they embodied power, leadership, and cultural identity. Zulu symbols of elite status. The use of metal wire, particularly brass and copper, carried connotations of wealth and legitimacy within the Zulu socio-political hierarchy.
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The Battle of Ulundi fought on 4 July 1879 was the final action of the Zulu War. Early that morning, Lord Chelmsford, leaving his fortified camp, crossed the Umvolosi River with a force of five thousand men, twelve guns and two Gatlings, to a position of his own choosing between Unodwengo and Ulundi. Soon after half-past seven, the Zulu Army of 20,000 in twelve regiments under King Cetywayo was seen leaving its bivouacs and advancing on every side. The engagement was joined shortly after and by nine o'clock the attack was fully developed. At 9.25 the Zulu assault appeared to waver, causing Lord Chelmsford order a charge by the 17th Lancers (or 17th Regiment of Lancers, as they were titled between 1861 and 1876) under Colonel Drury-Lowe, but with the stipulation not to pursue too far. The charge of the 17th scattered the bulk of Zulus but the lancers were also surprised by a mass of the enemy concealed in a donga - Captain Wyatt Edgell and several men falling to their fire. The 17th broke these too contributing significantly to the general rout of the Zulus. By noon Ulundi was in flames, and by the end of the day all the military kraals of the Zulu Army and in the valley of the Umvolosi were destroyed.