Yes I would agree with Martin on the pommel , it does seem poorly executed for the supposed period . My point about the 'Art Deco' dating is based on a similar experience at an antiques fair, where a seller had a similarly decorated scabbard which he 'surmised' was from the 1930s due to the similarity of the patterning to a piece of Clarice Cliff pottery he was also selling ! I really dont think the fashionable European Art Deco movement had much impact on sub Saharan Africa in the 1930s ! I am afraid some dealers just 'wing' it when it comes to ID & dating of items. I remember years ago how a quite eminent member of the Antiques Roadshow admitted to me that when he first started out in the antiques trade , his boss told him , never admit you dont know what an item is or what its age is, just make it up ... nothing deters a potential customer more than a dealer who appears not to know what they are selling !
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