View Full Version : A snake in the grass?
harrywagner
16th November 2015, 03:45 PM
Does anyone recognize this makers mark? It looks like a snake in the grass, or maybe a snake and a crown. Thanks in advance for any information about this piece.
Harry
kahnjar1
16th November 2015, 06:52 PM
Can't help with the mark, but a very nice Koumyya you have there Harry.
Stu
Kubur
16th November 2015, 08:00 PM
Hi
I would say a snake on a crown
Jim McDougall
17th November 2015, 02:38 AM
Harry, I could not resist the very clever allusion in the title 'snake in the grass' :)
Actually this seems very likely to be a native armourers spurious interpretation of the 'biscione', which indeed in Milanese refers loosely to a type of grass snake.
One of these surmounted by a crown was in medieval times a heraldic arms for the House of Viscionti, then the Duchy of Milan, and variations which carried much further.
While this is a spurious interpretation rather than an actual armourers mark, it does seem to represent an actual armourer of Italian origin as well as a Milanese guild mark (Gardner, 1953, p.360). Apparantly the serpent was also even used (according to references and often disputed) by the mysterious Ferara.
The powerful influence of Italian arms in the Maghreb and well across North
Africa is well established, in fact the pommel form of the koummya itself is often thought to derive from the Italian sword, cinquedea. The straight blade daggers often are termed 'janwi' (djenoui) which loosely refers to Genoa, from which many blades and edged weapons often originated.
Italian blades or Solingen counterparts are often found on 'nimcha'.
This is a handsome example of koumya which appears genuinely intended for traditional wear, and interesting to see the application of this very historical marking.
harrywagner
18th November 2015, 02:33 AM
Harry, I could not resist the very clever allusion in the title 'snake in the grass' :)
Actually this seems very likely to be a native armourers spurious interpretation of the 'biscione', which indeed in Milanese refers loosely to a type of grass snake.
One of these surmounted by a crown was in medieval times a heraldic arms for the House of Viscionti, then the Duchy of Milan, and variations which carried much further.
While this is a spurious interpretation rather than an actual armourers mark, it does seem to represent an actual armourer of Italian origin as well as a Milanese guild mark (Gardner, 1953, p.360). Apparantly the serpent was also even used (according to references and often disputed) by the mysterious Ferara.
The powerful influence of Italian arms in the Maghreb and well across North
Africa is well established, in fact the pommel form of the koummya itself is often thought to derive from the Italian sword, cinquedea. The straight blade daggers often are termed 'janwi' (djenoui) which loosely refers to Genoa, from which many blades and edged weapons often originated.
Italian blades or Solingen counterparts are often found on 'nimcha'.
This is a handsome example of koumya which appears genuinely intended for traditional wear, and interesting to see the application of this very historical marking.
Thanks Jim. That makes sense to me. The piece is well made enough that I doubt this was whoever made its first piece. Its possible they made a similar mark on other knives. I'll keep an eye open. I like it. It adds to the interest of the piece and is just cartoonish enough to be amusing.
rickystl
19th November 2015, 05:01 PM
Can't help with the mark, but a very nice Koumyya you have there Harry.
Stu
I second that!! What a beauty.
Rick.
Jim McDougall
20th November 2015, 03:19 AM
Very welcome Harry, and it was great to see such a nice example. I added the koummya to the title in hopes other readers interested in these daggers might have seen a similar mark.
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