A koummya- and contexts

[RobT]

Hi Jim McDougall,

I think your estimate of 1910-1920 is plausible. The French annexed part of Morocco in 1912 and then the Spanish annexed the rest in that same year. Both countries were heavily involved in Morocco before then.
Did you check under the ferrule for a maker’s mark? To my eye, the very sharp and clean grind lines on your blade make European machine manufacture likely.
The well done metal work on the sheath and hilt indicate that the dagger was made for an upscale market. Actually, the decoration on the sheath and the hilt metal work is also very regular and I wonder if these elements were not made in Europe and the decoration done with some sort of “mix and match” stamp set.
The fine blade notwithstanding, I don’t think this knife was made for or worn with any serious belief that it would have to be used in combat because the virtually nonexistent hilt quillons would do almost nothing to keep the user’s hand from sliding up the blade on impact.
I think there is one very interesting and probably important thing to note about koummya with European made blades (and perhaps dress as well). European trade blades abound in Africa from north to south but they are, in all cases that I am aware of, European blades (albeit sometimes modified) that have been hilted and sheathed by Africans. The European made koummya with its curved blade having a long edge on the concave side and a short edge on the convex side, was made in Europe to follow the African design exactly. It is amazing to me that we have no European blade smith records regarding this very singular blade.

Sincerely,
RobT