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Old 4th March 2021, 07:59 PM   #29
fernando
Lead Moderator European Armoury
 
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
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Default Define Native ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
... I WONDER if this could be a kind of regalia for use by a member of one of the secretive guilds or societies known in West Africa...
Here you beat me, Jim; esoterica falls out of my jurisdiction .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
.. bullet proof or not, natives tended to believe something would be bullet proof if the 'magic' afforded it was intended to make it so...
Perhaps those under such influence wouldn't even need to armour the cuirass with iron in the first place ? .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
.. peoples were not necessarily well informed in the dynamics and ballistics of firearms, but were inclined to follow more the word of their shamans, medicine men etc...
A bit of a reducive approach, i am afraid.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
...To take an old cuirass, bolster it with iron for structure and protection from bullets to me, makes sense...
You mean taking an old reptile skin, not a cuirass; we don't know if it was already an armour implement before the present assembly, do we ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
. The cross, as I had previously noted, was a commonly applied device from the Portuguese presence in West Africa, and adopted by the native people as a significant symbol of power or magic. It seems this became a well used element in West African material culture...
More precisely, managing to christianize their kings, giving them diplomatic gifts (quoting you) which in such way became symbols of power, although not easily accessible to their subjects. But that is another story.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
...the use of European components simply reflects the influence, which was of course well established there.
Like saying that this discussed cuirass shape follows European patterns ? could well be.
For your archives i will here upload a rare XV century breastplate, with the Cross of Christ embossed (collection Rainer Dahenhardt).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Basically, why would anyone ship crocodile hide to Europe, to make a cuirass to send back to Africa?
You got me wrong, Jim; my bad english fault. My understanding places both croc hide and the hard chest piece in the same environment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
.The 'recyclng' and repurposng of materials is well known in Africa, in Sudan and other regions sword blades are made of old truck springs.
Like in other continents; comes to mind cangaceiros (and not only) swords made of truck springs in Brazil.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
... I still recall the Sudanese helmets embellished with forks and spoons .
Yet Panoleon cuirass shows us an austere posture.


Yours faithful.


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