After a little further research - it seems the Mahdists used the Baggara spear as a symbol on their coinage, as per attached image of a 20 piastre piece.
Interestingly, spears/long lances from the Arabian peninsula area also had a bamboo shaft as did Sudanese examples. I am posting a couple of extracts from "Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia" by John Topham, 1982. Wonder if there is a linkage ?
|