Hi all,
This sword (below) resembles Ethiopian gurade specimens that have been posted on this forum through the years yet has a number of differences that make me hesitate in identifying it. The blade has a prominent midrib on one side and a shallow fuller on the other, it also has 3 evenly spaced holes near its spine. The hilt is made of horn and resembles typical gurade hilts except for the rear/pommel end which gradually widens rather than having the more dramatic T-shaped projections often seen on gurades. I assume gurades were largely produced by the Amhara of the former Ethiopian empire, could this be a copy made by a neighboring ethnic group or does it fall within the range of gurade variants? Any insights are welcome
Ethiopian gurades for comparison:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=gurade
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=gurade
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=gurade
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=gurade
- ADS