The bola is a primitive hunting tool that were originally used by the Chinese, Eskimos and South American Indians. Bolas are a throwing device made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs. They are most famously used by the South American gauchos. Gauchos used bolas to capture running cattle or game.

For detailed information about bolas from different cultures, please visit the flight-toys bola web page.

This bola is a very nice example of a real functional bola with braided leather cords. Each of the balls has a stone or solid sand interior surrounded by a leather pouch. One of the balls is smaller than the other two balls as expected. The leather is dry and stiff and is fine for display. One of the ball attachments is weak, so this one would be best for display and not for throwing. This bola is not an antique, but it is well proportioned and it is a good model for making functional bolas for throwing. Cord length = 68 -> 72 cm ; Ball diameters = 5 -> 6.5 cm ; Weight = 566 gm