Sudanese ceremonial type kaskara

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Edster

Thanks, Jim for adding your expertise. Based on your comments I suggest that available examples here and on other Forum posts indicates there are two kinds of Mahdiya era thuluth swords with different characteristics.

1. The legit weapons like yours with forged and fullered blades, well formed cast bronze cross-guards and leather wrapped grips. Likely carried by the Khalifa's commanders of lesser military units. Most high ranking emirs had full fledged kaskaras with silver dress, but without thuluth.

2. Derivative examples like Jack's with shorter sheet metal blades, no fullers, derivative cast bronze cross-guards and croc covered grips and often scabbards. These likely were made in Omdurman as well, but in volume and distributed during the Mahdiya and continued after the 1899 Re-Conquest as souvenirs.

Regards,
Ed

Thanks Ed,
I think thats right. Some of the indications in some resources mention that the Omdurman arsenal was loaded with tons of tools and metal from Khartoum. Gordon was there to build infrastructure, railroads and the river boats etc. I have even seen kaskara with the sheet metal stock stamping (I think one is pictured in Briggs).
There was truly an obsession with souvenirs alright. If the numbers of weapons seen over the years as trophies were counted, Kitchener wouldnt have had a chance if THAT number of warriors were there!

Best,
Jim