Triple Dagger
 

Tripple Dagger Comments please -- Thanks, Bill

Hi Bill:

Interesting pieces. I recall something similar on the old forum a while ago. The sheath(s) look like crocodile skin -- Mike (Conogre) could probably tell you which species. I think we concluded the previous example was a N. African ceremonial piece, but I'm sure others remember better.

Ian

Edit: Here is the URL for the thread that I mentioned. Unfortunately the pictures are gone. http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002161.html

Very nice :cool:

Nice,

Sudan, I think. North African certainly. Rudy D'Angelo has a large collection of North African arms and he shared a similar example last year. Sorry for the broken pic links, I didn't realize that folder was gone. I should have it archived. Will dig around and repost asap.

BTW, I've seen a few different variations of this piece on ebay lately, but they do seem to be pretty rare.

-d

This one just finished:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7335361023

Regards,
Kai

Bill,
Extremely nice example of these multiple dagger sets which are indeed Sudanese, and I believe many examples were fashioned in workshops in Omdurman, from about the Mahdist period. These have been suggested to have certain ritual association, however more research is needed to support that. These seem to occur in variations including pairs of daggers joined to Persian maces of the devil or bullhead forms and also covered in either crocodile or monitor lizard hide. From the photos the age and the thuluth suggest end of 19th to early 20th century, but if these were indeed ritual items it would be hard to say, could be later.
Interesting pommel form which seems variant and recalls the familiar hilts of the koummya daggers of Morocco, and which of course seem to have diffused throughout North Africa.
It seems these really are somewhat unavailable typically, and most examples not as well made as these.
All the best,
Jim