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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
In response to Blue Lander (post #75), while this is indeed a crude munitions grade weapon, with hilt in 'nimcha' style, I would point out that the telling point is that langet style foldover on the guard. This feature is characteristic on the shellguard 'cutlass' type sabres which have been shown as Spanish colonial of Caribbean and primarily South American origin.
The same feature is seen on espada's with flat, striated shells on their guard also known Spanish colonial, and of 18th century.
I would say these swords, noting they all have the characteristic hand nock in the grip, are well connected to this wide spectrum of colonial swords which have these features and trade blades and which includes the Spanish regions of Morocco.
This is an excellent example of how these often humbly regarded weapons help us in better understanding the historical scope of these regions, and the true purpose of the study of ethnographic weapons.
Turning to the well supported notes on Jewish craftsmen Ibrahiim has added, I would like to add that in Ethiopia that the Falashas , better known as Beta Israel, were the craftsmen who furbished weapons for the Amharic rulers and were of course essentially of the Jewish faith. In Morocco, the craftsmen producing arms were often Jewish, though I cannot recall their name. Many of these craftsmen accompanied trans Saharan caravans with the Hajj Pilgrims which travelled through these Ethiopian regions, which included Harar , the bustling entrepot which was key in Red Sea trade and on the way to Arabian destinations.
This is of course a most brief description only touching on the complexity of these networks and how extensively Jewish artisans were involved in many areas of material culture crafts, which extended far beyond simply silver work and jewelry. They were also prevalent in all manner of decorating and furbishing arms, their skills clearly covering North Africa, and into Arabia from their long ancestry in these in Andalusian Spain.
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Salaams Jim, Excellent detail on the shell style guards and other researched detail...and certainly there is evidence of Spanish ships in the Indian Ocean...I wonder where this one originated ? You mentioned Jewish influence in Morocco ~Please see
http://www.hebrewhistory.info/factpa...017-1_gold.htm for a link to Moroccan Jewish involvement.
It seems to me that most of the Nimcha blades with some attachment to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean are from German and European sources. Is this simply a matter of trade blades being teamed up with hilts (of a Zanzibari Style) and scabbards (often with swirls in the leather Omani Style)? Buttin notes Arabian... rather than nominating a specific nation.
It seems the Billao style hilt pictured below is African ~Somalia. and very similar to the Nimcha on Buttins chart of that type.
Regarding the roughly made hilts ~Are we saying that the roughly knocked up versions are late Yemeni copies? (I would agree on that) These, therefor, could be something of a late red herring ... An entire shoal of them !!
The lavish VIP Ivory and Gold Hilt (with supporting comb) would appear to be Hilt and scabbard made in Zanzibar... blade European? or Hyderabad or Hadramaut?
In regarding all things Zanzibari it is worth pointing out the confusion even in maps... see below where
"Zanguebar" fills a place between Mozambique and the Gulf of Aden ! It begs the question that if a weapon was described as coming from Zanzibar where, in fact, did that mean?
As you point out we are dealing with "sword networks" and unless we can be quite specific the description has to be entertained with a broad brush view.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
