African Short Sword for ID Somali???

[kahnjar1]

A nice African short sword for ID and comment. Thinking maybe Somali.
Stu

[Kubur]

Merry Christmas...
Yes it's a billao, bellawa. But yours is very nice, the blade and the pommel are unusual.

[Yvain]

As Kubur, rightfully said, it is indeed most likely from Somalia and exhibits some similarities with the billao sword. However, the blade seems less assymetrical, and the hilt (especially the pommel) is very different. The construction of the hilt somewhat reminds me of the "tooray" dagger, maybe they are related and this is a local take on the billao?

[Kubur]

I agree it is the illegitimate child of a billao and a toora/dagger. So for sure from Somalia and because it is a short sword, it can be called a billao.

[colin henshaw]

Well its a Somali sword certainly, but the pommel is wrong. From the images, looks like someone has added a piece to the end of the hilt from a New Guinea or Solomons Islands object ?? which is strange.

[Kubur]

Well its a Somali sword certainly, but the pommel is wrong. From the images, looks like someone has added a piece to the end of the hilt from a New Guinea or Solomons Islands object ?? which is strange.

HI Colin,

I have the feeling that you have a strong interest for Indonesian and Polynesian/Oceanian islands.
For me a patinated wood looks like patinated wood.
Please look at this link

https://www.randafricanart.com/Boni_headrest_Somalia3.html

The pattern of the wood carvings are very similar and IMHO there is no reason to believe that the pommel was replaced.

Kubur

[Tim Simmons]

I have too agree with Colin the replacement part is typically Massim.

Not hard to find how it should be, just one example.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4353&highlight=somali+swords