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 be used for protection. 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.
The design on the blade is composed of four separate panels of varying sizes. Two contain a central ellipse or palm leaf with striations, surrounded by semi-circles around the edge. The largest panel shows a striated ellipse at the center connected to triangles at top and bottom. On the upper portion, at the tip, is a checkerboard design with the squares filled by lines presenting an attractive sketchy effect to match the floral motif of the lower section.