Tunisian dagger ? European style ...

[francantolin]

Good day dear members,

I wanted to show you this old dagger and try to fix the origin,

It looks to me old north african work for blade and scabbard
But the hilt looks more european.

Some kind of genoui dagger ? Maybe tunisian ??

[Pertinax]

Looks like a Sudanese knife, people the Fur and Nuba.

Take a photo of the butt of the handle.

Best regards,
Yuri

[RobT]

Hi All,

I read somewhere that these knives come from Eritrea and would really like verification of origin plus any other information (dagger name, ethnic group, history, etc) anyone might have. I have three in my collection. Two have straight blades and one has a curved blade. The hilts on mine are composed of stacked horn or bone washers with brass disks between them on the ends and long bone or horn center sections. All three have wood lined brass sheaths. As is shown on the current post the last horn section on each end of the hilt forms a baselard-like cross guard and pommel.

Sincerely,
RobT

[francantolin]

Thanks a lot Yuri and RobT for your messages !

Yes interesting these ''east african knife''
With the global shape of a swiss-german baselaard
medieval dagger.

Just the chiselled bras scabbard looks more mediterranean to me

Kind regards

[Pertinax]

Hi All,

I read somewhere that these knives come from Eritrea and would really like verification of origin plus any other information (dagger name, ethnic group, history, etc) anyone might have. I have three in my collection. Two have straight blades and one has a curved blade. The hilts on mine are composed of stacked horn or bone washers with brass disks between them on the ends and long bone or horn center sections. All three have wood lined brass sheaths. As is shown on the current post the last horn section on each end of the hilt forms a baselard-like cross guard and pommel.

Sincerely,
RobT

Hi RobT!
Take a look here, maybe it will help.

https://galleryrider.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/large-arm-dagger-sheath-fur-nuba-bedja-barabra-hadendoa-sudan

https://galleryrider.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/arm-dagger-sheath-fur-nuba-bedja-barabra-hadendoa-sudan-5

Best regards,
Yuri

[Interested Party]

Hi RobT!
Take a look here, maybe it will help.

https://galleryrider.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/large-arm-dagger-sheath-fur-nuba-bedja-barabra-hadendoa-sudan

https://galleryrider.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/arm-dagger-sheath-fur-nuba-bedja-barabra-hadendoa-sudan-5

Best regards,
Yuri
To me these don't look like the OP example. The OP silhouette is closer to what Tirri called a "Sudanese waist knife". The sheath reminds me of Syrian work in some ways, but "African" could fit the blade.

Bear in mind I am no expert in the field. These are just my impressions.

[G. Mansfield]

These knives are Eritrean and most notable from being collected during the Eritrea Mission organized by the Italian Ministry of Education in 1905 and 1906. I think that they can also be found into Eastern / North- Eastern Sudan. Here are two from my collection. The links provided show more detailed references at the bottom that I have gathered about them.

https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/eritrean-dagger
https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/eritrean-dagger-57

-Geoffrey

[Pertinax]

These knives are Eritrean and most notable from being collected during the Eritrea Mission organized by the Italian Ministry of Education in 1905 and 1906. I think that they can also be found into Eastern / North- Eastern Sudan. Here are two from my collection. The links provided show more detailed references at the bottom that I have gathered about them.


-Geoffrey

Here's more from the Eritrea Mission

https://galleryrider.com/index.php/african-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/dagger-layered-handle-eritrea-somalia
https://galleryrider.com/index.php/african-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/dagger-sheath-eritrea-somalia
https://galleryrider.com/index.php/african-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/dagger-layered-handle-eritrea-somalia-1

[francantolin]

Whaoh !

Thank's a lot all !!!

[RobT]

Hi All,

I second francantolin's thank you. It is interesting to see that these daggers come in at least two cross sections. One is an unfullered flattened diamond type (as are all of mine) and another has a fuller (or fullers). The profiles differ also. One type has an uninterrupted distal taper from hilt to point and another has basically parallel sides giving way to an abrupt taper to point.

Sincerely,
RobT