Moroccan " pseudo-shashka"
Some time ago we had a discussion about the definition of “shashka”. My point was that shashka is a uniquely Caucasian weapons and that this name should not be applied to any other object.
Some of my opponents opposed the term “ pseudo-shashka” reluctantly introduced by Lebedinski and asserted that shashka is a saber without a hand guard and that its name should follow the custom applied by Russian historians: having conquered Caucasus they were in a unique position to know what they were talking about.
My attempts to draw their attention to other guardless saber-like swords, such as “ Bedouin sabers”, Sardinian Leppas, votive sabers of Kairuan, Central-Asian sabers etc. did not convince them.
So, just for the fun of it, here is yet another example of “pseudo-shashka”. Its Moroccan attribution is based on close similarity with unquestionably Moroccan Nimcha, especially their brass-clad scabbards. Most importantly, the blades are marked identically: “Nueva Granada 1845 ( or..6). As you know Nueva Granada was a Spain controlled territory in South and Central America, including at different times parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana etc, but mainly consisting of what is now Venezuela, Colombia and Panama.
How blades from that part of the world ended up in North Africa is unknown, likely some surplus of military or agricultural tools.
But in any case, here it is : a Moroccan “pseudo-shashka”.
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