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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Outstanding sword Iain!
This truly does seem of the takouba 'family' and I agree with the likely Cameroon attribution. The disc pommel is unusual and it seems the geometric scribed motif resembles other West African types but cannot recall specifics. I usually think of those peaked dome type pommels with Cameroon , I think Tebu?
The scabbard looks very much like the takouba type with the wrap around at the chape.
The blade seems almost reprofiled from the typical excessive sharpening, and unusual with the single central fuller. The 'dukari' seem to resemble more interpretations of the 'sickle' marks rather than the more common crescent moons on these blades, especially with the orbs at each terminal of the semicircle. I cant see whether the 'face' configuration is present.
All the best,
Jim
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Hi Jim,
Thanks for the comments. As always the "takouba" family is a little hard to define but I generally include any broadsword with a pronounced guard and pommel. This certainly fits into that criteria. The pommel is a bit reminiscent of Tebu style pommels - only it is round and the construction method is different. It is certainly not of the "skull crusher" variety.
The blade has seen some heavy sharpening - but I think it always had the curved profile. The scabbard seems to bear this out as well. The markings I think are less after the half moons and more after the sickles as you say. There are no "faces" to be seen in my brief examination - only the semi circles with terminating orbs.
I need to search out a few threads from the archive as I am sure I have seen similarly constructed pommels before from the Mandara region...
All the best,
Iain