length: 17 3/8"
blade: 13 1/2"
blade width: 2" at base
loop: 3 3/4" x 1 7/8" (outer diameter)
weight: 13.8 oz

A loop dagger from the Lobi people of Burkina Faso (formerly the Republic of Upper Volta - Burkina Fasoians are known as "Burkinabč"). Similar to the (slightly more common but still quite uncommon ) loop daggers used by the Tiv of Nigeria. Loop daggers were actually secondary weapons for archers - they were held in the arrow-drawing (right) hand with the blade down, ready for use in a close-up fight (the Lobi weren't firing English longbows at 300 yards, their average encounter range would have been relatively close up - and they used poisoned arrows). Note that while this particular loop dagger is rather plain and worn, it is also by far the largest example of it's kind I have ever seen. Typical blade length for a loop dagger is around 5 1/2". The blade on this one is 13 1/2" long. Sometimes you just need a (much) bigger dagger. Early to mid 1800's.