The ceremonial sword and knife are important symbols of power and authority. High ranking individuals wear the udamalore, (a small, ornate ceremonial sword) during festivals to designate them as someone of prestige. At Ilesha, (central Yorubaland), the chief strikes the blade of his sword on the earth three times when he greets Ogun, god of iron. Swords and knifes are emblems not only of wealth, but also of the power latent within the metal itself to cause either destruction or to protect. Just as an individual possessing power, both earthly and spiritual, may use the weapon for aggressive or passive purposes depending upon his judgment and wisdom.
Nine horizontal bands of varying thicknesses decorate the main portion of this knife. A central wide band is composed of a checkerboard pattern with small circles inside the squares. Other smaller bands contain concentric circles, very small dots, and ones comprising ellipses and semi-circles. The upper portion has two rows of concentric circles on the edge divided by triple lines and an open space in between. The highly textured effect reminds one of patterns on cloth, full of movement and energy.