Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Kaskara in Silver Dress: an essay for comment and discussion by Ed Hunley

Edster · 21st July 2018, 02:25 PM

Dear Kubur,

Thanks for the references. I tried the on-line MET, but the only photo they had was of the snake double pommel sword, but it wasn't as good as the one Teodor supplied. Ricketts, 1988 looks great, but I don't have access to it. I'll try to get bootleg access via libgen.io. I'd appreciate if you could scan & post the Darfur sword sections. Its difficult for casual researchers to get access to a good reference library without spending a bundle. I'm beginning to think that Darfur may be the birthplace of the Kaskara or at least the key location to its development.

Our inquiry is hampered because mostly we see in books "full face" photos of swords and particularly quillons. We need to be able to handle them and see and photograph from different angles to appreciate their 3-D qualities.

On a separate note, I recently found an 1838 reference to the cross & orb with a lion sword makers mark. Its in Travels in Kordofan by Ignatius Pallme, London 1844. Not a very good cut and paste below. Also note the preferred Death's-head mark by Peter Knell. I'm not familiar with that one.

“Two-edged swords, of Austrian manufacture, are thirty-six inches and a half in length, and one inch and three-quarters in breadth, of equal diameter throughout, and rounded off inferiorly. Seven inches and a quarter in the curve, and marked: 5 with a lion. Thescabbardsandhiltsaremadeinthecountry. They areinmostrequestinDarfour. Thesaleisattendedwithcon siderable profit, but those marked with a death's-head from the workshops of Peter Knell, in Solingen, are preferred. “ (Note: The “5” in the text above in the cross & orb symbol in the original.)

Below are great references I used, but forgot to include in the previous reply to you. They are key to the silver grips of both diamond and star & comet motifs.

“Royal Regalia: a sword of the last Sultan of Darfur, Ali Dinar” J. Anderson, A. Ali Mohaned, et al, Sudan and Nubia, The Sudan Archaeological Research Society, Bulletin No. 20, 2016

Ancient Treasures exhibition from the Sudan National Museum, 2004, The British Museum. D. Welsby & J. Anderson. It shows the 1762 Nasir Mohamed Funj sword. I didn't use the image in the essay because a better one was available elsewhere.

Regards,
Ed

21st July 2018, 02:25 PM	#14
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 389	Dear Kubur, Thanks for the references. I tried the on-line MET, but the only photo they had was of the snake double pommel sword, but it wasn't as good as the one Teodor supplied. Ricketts, 1988 looks great, but I don't have access to it. I'll try to get bootleg access via libgen.io. I'd appreciate if you could scan & post the Darfur sword sections. Its difficult for casual researchers to get access to a good reference library without spending a bundle. I'm beginning to think that Darfur may be the birthplace of the Kaskara or at least the key location to its development. Our inquiry is hampered because mostly we see in books "full face" photos of swords and particularly quillons. We need to be able to handle them and see and photograph from different angles to appreciate their 3-D qualities. On a separate note, I recently found an 1838 reference to the cross & orb with a lion sword makers mark. Its in Travels in Kordofan by Ignatius Pallme, London 1844. Not a very good cut and paste below. Also note the preferred Death's-head mark by Peter Knell. I'm not familiar with that one. “Two-edged swords, of Austrian manufacture, are thirty-six inches and a half in length, and one inch and three-quarters in breadth, of equal diameter throughout, and rounded off inferiorly. Seven inches and a quarter in the curve, and marked: 5 with a lion. Thescabbardsandhiltsaremadeinthecountry. They areinmostrequestinDarfour. Thesaleisattendedwithcon siderable profit, but those marked with a death's-head from the workshops of Peter Knell, in Solingen, are preferred. “ (Note: The “5” in the text above in the cross & orb symbol in the original.) Below are great references I used, but forgot to include in the previous reply to you. They are key to the silver grips of both diamond and star & comet motifs. “Royal Regalia: a sword of the last Sultan of Darfur, Ali Dinar” J. Anderson, A. Ali Mohaned, et al, Sudan and Nubia, The Sudan Archaeological Research Society, Bulletin No. 20, 2016 Ancient Treasures exhibition from the Sudan National Museum, 2004, The British Museum. D. Welsby & J. Anderson. It shows the 1762 Nasir Mohamed Funj sword. I didn't use the image in the essay because a better one was available elsewhere. Regards, Ed Last edited by Edster; 21st July 2018 at 02:42 PM.