African dagger for I.D.

[colin henshaw]

Hi

Here is an unusual dagger recently acquired - can anyone help with identification ?

I have a feeling it could be from the Nigeria/Cameroons area ??

Comments and references are welcome...

[Iain]

That's certainly what it looks like to me.

Hopefully Martin or Wolf will be along shortly and can ID it.

Nice piece, seems to have good age. :)

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Colin and Iain,

I have never seen such dagger before. Nevertheless, the decoration on the blade reminds me Dadia, Tula, Fali, Movu..... And the iron safeguard is like on the Mandara mountains (kapsiki ?) swords. So I would also say Cameroon, province de l´Extreme-Nord.
Maybe it could be important piece of collection of sahel daggers, as I said, I have never seen such variety before.
Regards,

Martin

[Gavin Nugent]

A fine and interesting piece, congrats.

The style reminds me of the bronze Celtic anthropomorphic & antenna hilted daggers and swords.

Gavin

[Iain]

Neat to hear this might be a rare one. Some of the more typical Mandara region pieces have a similar "celtic" look Gav. :) I find it quite attractive.

The closest thing to this dagger I can recall is a piece of Wolf's, which I'm sure he won't mind if I link to his site.

http://www.africanarms.com/all-albums/!/oa/6644101-93246784/

http://www.africanarms.com/all-albums/!/oa/6644101-93246838/mode/matrix

[Gavin Nugent]

Great links Iain.

When you see this design element in these weapons one has to ask why the similarities.

Gavin

[Iain]

Great links Iain.

When you see this design element in these weapons one has to ask why the similarities.

Gavin

I've always understood it to be entirely coincidental, these are shapes fairly easy to arrive at with forge work, the spirals derived from bending the bar of material around.

There's been similar comments around any short Congo sword with a wooden handle (Romans!), or the "crusader" kaskaras. While it's always fun to speculate, history is usually a little more mundane I think. :)

[Wodimi]

Hi Colin,
it's a real nice example from the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. Such daggers are from the Ron, but I'm sure their neigbours have them too.
Attached also a map where they are located.
Best
Wolf

[Iain]

Hi Colin,
it's a real nice example from the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. Such daggers are from the Ron, but I'm sure their neigbours have them too.
Attached also a map where they are located.
Best
Wolf
Very interesting Wolf, somehow I knew you would have the answer. ;)

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Wolf,

You have really good good information resources....

I would like to join this opportunity and renew my old question: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6460

The sword is comming from Nigeria, too (and I saw another very similar on the market in Lagos that time). What would be your opinion concerning the tribe ?

Regards,

Martin

[colin henshaw]

Thanks to those who have commented on this item, especially to Wolf for the reference. What is the book in question ?

Regards,
Colin

[Wodimi]

It's a German book with the title "Zur materiellen Kultur der Bevölkerung des Jos-Plateaus", written by Sabine Weingarten.

[Martin Lubojacky]

Here´s a picture from Ch. Spring´s book African Arms and Armour - sword from Bauchi region Berom People, with similar pommel. (Berom lives in Jos Plateau, too)
Martin

[Martin Lubojacky]

Sorry, have problem with connection, here. (Maybe somebody else could load scan of the picture - page 42)
Martin

[Richard G]

Can try
Richard

[Martin Lubojacky]

Trying again