Kattara for comments

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

I see the pics did not transfer with the "quote" Please refer to post #21 dated 18/5 by Ibrahiim
This is the pic I was refering to when I commented on the post by ARCHER. I do not see any hole in the hilt of this sword, just the knob as per the Mandingo sword................... so what are we really looking at here? The person in the pic wears a dagger (presumably Omani) of the saidi hilted type. Are we now saying that the sword he holds is in fact a Kattara, and if so is the hilt of the Mandingo type?
Regarding blade types found on Middle Eastern swords: The (then) colonial powers were very active in the area for a long period of time, and as a result numerious sword blades found there way to the area as "trade blades", and were hilted in the various countries with the local style of hilt. Ethiopia is a great example of this activity, where blades from all over europe appear on local swords.
Why should Oman be any different, particularly as the Omanis were well known a great seafarers and must have travelled great distances?

Salaams, No not at all Mendingo; The sword at #21 carried by the great slave trader Tippu Tip and photographed in the 1860s is a long Kattara hilt on what some people may call a curved kattara but which is also called a Sayf in Oman. Although we cannot see the blade it can be seen that the scabbard is curved and that it has rings so that it can be slung in the low mount thus favoured by VIPs even then as a badge of office. I can see the hole in the pommel on photo one at # 21.

What I suggest is that perhaps :

1.Such was the influence of Oman in the east of Africa that some effect may have occured to sway the design of African swords e.g. from the Omani Kattara hilt to the Mendingo hilt. This is based on the slave trade control by Omani traders over huge swathes of Africa etc.

2. The African hilt "at some point" swayed the design of the kattara Omani hilt ~ something I find difficult to believe.

3. That there was no influence from anywhere on the Omani Kattara design and the Omanis dreamed up the design of hilt, blade and buckler plus the war dance "The Razha" independently.

I have to say that I am sold so far on point 3 but I am open to ideas !

On the point of colonial power; it is true that European influence did inspire a lot of African swords however not many of, for example, the typical swords of Ethiopia imported from Germany, appeared in Oman because they were rigid and pointed... The Omanis used, were brought up with and favoured the Kattara system. Luckhouse and Gunter straight german blades were useless with a Buckler and even cut back would not have found much use perhaps as ships swords opposed to the shaska style also adopted in Oman... not in Oman anyway. In Ethiopia however the full length import was ~ superb!
I have two Luckhouse and Gunters mounted on Tulvar handles but Ive seen no Omani variants yet !!

Regards,
Ibrahiim Al Balooshi.

p.s. The chap wearing the Khanjar and sword is Sultan Barghash of Zanzibar. Yes that khanjar is the family traditional "Al Bu Saidi".