Ethiopian scabbard mounting

[Martin Lubojacky]

Enclosed please find some pictures for pleasure.

[Gavin Nugent]

Very nice Martin.

I do like the form of the top one most of all.
The interlocking "chains", does this motif have a name? I have seen it on many pommels, some of which may still be here with me somewhere.

Gavin

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Gavin,

Yes, interlocking chains were relatively frequent motif. Unfortunately, I do not know if it has any name. I think it was made of stamped plates and despite of its typicalness for Abyssinian mountings, I am of the opinion it is not characteristic for Abyssinian silver(brass)smithts. So maybe the stamped plates were imported. Typical Abassinian work is fligree ...

Martin

[Jim McDougall]

Outstanding examples of Abyssinian craftsmanship Martin!!
Especially like the almost Picasso-esque style of the Lion of Judah!

It is curious about the character of the interlocked chain type motif noted by Gav, and wonder if we might find a descriptive term. As he notes this does appear on a good number of examples. Maybe some references on Ethiopian arts and crafts might have something?

Thank you so much for sharing these!!!

[roanoa]

Greetings, Martin. Very fine examples. I have a few. I mostly find them with daggers, but, whenever possible, I find them a "new home" and fit them to sword scabbards. Here is a Dubat (Somali warrior) dagger that I recently found. The silver "tip" decoration is very obviously from a sword scabbard and this is the way it would look once fitted as per the original design. Unfortunately, a few of the "bells" were lost. Cheers, RON

[Battara]

I do LOVE Ethiopian silver work!! :D