A Most Unusual Axe;Prestige, Dance or Souvenir Piece?iece

[ariel]

Originally Posted by drac2k

I'm not so certain that isn't within the realm of possibilities, given the extensive reach of the powerful navies of Genoa & Venice in the Middle Ages; a trade blade so valued that it was copied does not seem improbable. Even though mine is of the 20th century, I'm sure that when planes rained from the skies in WW2, aluminum was probably a more sought-after commodity than copper or brass.

AFAIK, neither Waldensians nor Genoese/Venetian traders ever reached Dahomey. IMHO, we are faced with a classical case of parallel development.
Central European Kords ( Bauernwehrs) and Afghani Khybers carry identical blades. Sardinian Leppas and Bedouin Saifs have identical handles. Simple decorative elements such as circles are seen on Balkan and Afghani weapons. And so forth.