3 African daggers for ID
 

I assume these are Western Sahel or thereabouts .... shown to me by an old school friend and according to family tradition , brought back by an uncle
in the 1950s when he was in the merchant navy . The human faced dagger grip I have not encountered before. .... it appears to have been fashioned from an old carving knife . Your comments would be valued thank you.

I would say Hawsa, central Sudan, but I'm not a specialist...

:)

The smaller pair are certainly Hausa, not sure about the other one.

thanks Iain

The dagger with the carved face to the hilt is from the Sudan, probably made for selling to Europeans.

thank you Colin,, how interesting , have you come across them before then ? Any idea of period?

Yes, I've seen them before, sometimes in croc scabbards, sometimes with a group of three knives in one scabbard. They are often described as "Mahdist", but I suppose they must be early 20th century. There are quite a few types of enigmatic, non-practical weapons from the Sudan area, often described as from the Mahdist period, but probably later.

you're welcome!

yes I have heard about these though not knowingly seen any , thank you .

This example was on sale recently...

I would say re. the two smaller ones: Hausa, but not typical Nigerian Hausa , more to the North (or North-West ?). And as it was said re. the human head hilt - also in 50 ties there was staff made for tourists ...

Could be around Zinger or Katina?

this type I have seen and indeed own an example

thanks Martin ... but what do you mean '50 ties' ?

I don´t know if Zinder and/or Katsina. This my guess was based on what I saw in Abuja during 4 years of work there,some time ago. It seems to me that it is more difficult to assign accurately such more or less conterporary African daggers from Sahel (and also East Africa regions), than the old daggers eg from Congo.... The local wendors usually say what one "wants to hear", or they don´t know ..., only very seldom they say something like "Yes, this knife was brought by man from (e.g.) Katsina". From this reason I always ask my friends travelling in Africa to make photos of peaple "carrying" the knife or dagger etc and to make remark where it was.

Re: "Fifties": I meant 1950s as you wrote

Thank you Martin.