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Originally Posted by Martin Lubojacky
Enclosed please find pictures of the Ethiopian dagger with the distinctive pommel which is very similar to the dagger pommel in the first pictures from the top of this thread. Based on the picture of the dagger also with the very similar pommel (incl the signs of geometrical engrawings) published in 1900 edition of "With the Armies of Menelik II" by A. Bulatowich, (photo taken by lieutenant Davydov in 1898). also enclosed below, I tend to opinion that both daggers (beginning of this theread and posted now) are comming from the Ethiopian Jimma Region (or Jima).
My added speculation is that both posted daggers (the first one and now) could be of newer origin than that in the old picture by Davydov) and possibly influenced (as already suggested at the beginning of the thread) by the daggers and qamas of the Russians/Cocsacks who were in the Menelik II´s accompanion (also based on 1901 in the Czech language book "Cossacks in Abyssinia", which is practically translation of the diary of the first lieutenant Krasnov, Head of the Cossack escort of the Russian Envoy to Abyssinia Mr. Vlasov /1897-1898/). I can see the influence in the bottom part of the handle of the dagger posted now and in the grooves of the first posted dagger. If the daggers are from Jimma (the distictive pommel) - it is relatively far from Somali Arabic/islamic influence (Rift Valley) and also from Sudan Arabic/islamic influence. Menelik II was, I think, the first who annexed (militarily) these south western territories to that time Abyssinian "imperium".
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Interesting hilt on the last item you posted pics of. The bottom part looks very much like the Kurdish style and so does the blade shape, BUT the top is certainly not of Kurdish shape. Do you think that the top has been reworked and the pommel added?
Stu