Hi Tim,
These interesting 'sabre' type takoubas seem to come from the Burkina Faso regions around Ouagadougou....at least that is the provenance of the one illustrated by Zan (with yellow background). I acquired that piece a couple of years ago and that was what was indicated. These typically use military blades, mostly French or Solingen originated, and the guards are usually leather covered as the rest of the hilt, the bulbous pommel seems to coincide with other variations of swords from the Mossi regions. The example I have as shown by Zan has the typical Tuareg type pommel.
As Ariel notes, these really are fascinating items, and seem to date from around latter 19th century, though they may well of course be much more recent. These blades are often refurbished many times over.
Best regards,
Jim
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