Copper dagger from the Sahel

[Tim Simmons]

I came across this today, as it only cost a few shirt buttons I had to have it. The overall length is 284mm the handle 95mm of that. The tassels and the scabbard mouth are rather dry but just the right side of okay. A very interesting handle. The special/magic nature of copper and brass weapons has been discussed, it would be nice if there was a definitive reason for the use of such metals. These are serious old pieces, nothing to do with tourism. Northern Nigeria became a protectorate on 1.1.1900 and still very volatile in places untill the 1920s.