Thread: Telek ?
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Old 4th June 2019, 07:42 AM   #7
Jim McDougall
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Just looking through Briggs further (1965, op. cit. p.43), and found this on the TELEK:
It is noted that these telek from Ajjar, where the Tuareg's main sources of European trade goods were Tunis and Tripoli to the north. Therefore it is not surprising that the only known European blades mounted in these arm daggers appear to be of North Italian origin.
I have reattached the two illustration plates from Briggs, in which these are both mounted with Milanese blades.

It describes these daggers as worn along the inner side of the forearm with the hilt downward in a kind of 'quick draw' fashion.

It is further notes that many of these ended up in Morocco through returning Camel Corps officers. Briggs (1909-1975) was a Harvard anthropologist who wrote this in 1965, but had been stationed in Algeria with Strategic Services during WWII.

Again, the map shows the Ajjar region in red circle.

I hope this might add to the appreciation of this excellent example.
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