Research required!!! I absolutely love those words!!!
Well done Colin, and I think you have presented the case for Africa with the hanger that is the original subject of this thread well. Excellent example from Ghana and good support for the styling.
While a distasteful topic, the West Coast of Africa's participation in the Atlantic slave trade is a necessarily recognized element of the history of these regions of Togo, Dahomey (now Benin) and West Nigeria.
With Dahomey the principal slave state of these, one of the key ports was that of Ouidah. The infamous 'triangular trade' from Africa to the West Indies and to England was well established in the opening years of the 18th century, and the export of slaves by Portuguese, French, Spanish and English carried them to the West Indies colonies as well as to Brazil.
Naturally, the 'Golden Age' of piracy was in its zenith in these times, and the lucrative commodities that comprised the ill gotten gains of this tragic industry were the target of the pirates...not to mention the desirable ships themselves.
In 1715, a fast, heavy galley, the Whydah (named for the key slave port of Ouidah) was launched to enter this trade. In 1717, this ship while nearing the Bahamas was set upon by the pirate Black Sam Bellamy and his crew in two ships, and captured. The Whydah served them well for the next two months and they plundered some 50 ships, but thier luck ran out April 26,1717 when they were headed back to Cape Cod with loads of plunder. The galley sank in a huge storm, and only 2 of 146 survived. Much of this detail is covered in a great exhibition and article by National Geographic.
The kingdom of Dahomey lasted until 1894, when it became part of French West Africa. While the term slave coast had long since given way, thankfully to other terms such as Ivory, Gold or simply West coasts, like many African regions, turbulence has constantly returned.
It would seem that the 'triangular trade' as well as the well established 'Spanish Main', which both concurrently existed in many of these common regions, would have presented profound diffusion of weapon forms through all of them.
I think this hanger well represents the much earlier influences of the 17th and 18th century in styling that seems to be crudely presented with materials that are more modern, and intended to recall in throwback fashion, these earlier weapons. The spiral gadroon cage around the grip seems to serve as a functional and sound cover around the wood.
What is interesting is the extended 'spur' of the knuckleguard which protrudes past the pommel, very similar it seems to some 17th century English hilts, especially on some of the hangers.
While it is hard to determine whether this sword was fashioned in more modern times to appear more like one of the early hangers to attract collectors, or for use among the well known illicit activities that still prevail, but in the time when swords were still viable as weapons at sea, is hard to say.
It is well known that pirates were deliberately ostentatiously, even dandyish in sometimes almost garish fashion, in almost a rebellious, taunting manner.
They were rebellious figures with no allegiance to nation, codes, mores, nor convention and they enjoyed certain flamboyant actions and appearance, much like celebrity characters or as the 'goth' genre and its followers.
It would not be hard to 'fathom' smugglers or such illicit enterprenuers of even early 20th century fabricating such weapons from probably the components of earlier weapons found in these regions in less than intact condition.
An optimistic perspective, but nevertheless I believe plausible.