guardless nimcha

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All...As part of a multi layered puzzle with this weapon viz;

On the Zanzibari sword hilt there are three dots often with their gold decoration removed. Does this signify something Talismanic?

The entire hilt takes on an animal outlook... Is it a Lion or Horse designed geometrically?

On top of the pommel are two projections possibly ears?

Over the top of the pommel is what I have previously suggested is a Turtle?

Incorporated with the three dots is an INVERTED V . Is this meant to signify a mouth?

What are the R figures on all the quillons and on the upper hand Guard.?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Jim McDougall]

These are all excellent and compelling questions Ibrahiim! I am hoping some out there with experience with weapons of these regions might have ideas concerning these features from examples they own or have owned, or perhaps material culture items with clues.

Such as the great entry some time ago you posted an example of an ivory embellished comb with similar features seen on the Zanzibari sabre posted here.

With the presumed zoomorphic character of the profiles of these hilts, it seems this dilemma prevails with quite a few ethnographic hilts, including the flyssa, karabela, the so called Berber sabres etc. There seems a strong possibility these are stylizations which have devolved into simply aesthetic forms with connections to any prototype long lost, whether on actual examples or from iconographic sources.

I would surely like to know others thoughts on this, as there must be other views.

[estcrh]

From George Stone.

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent entry Estcrh!! Thank you.
I would like to add some notes which might be pertinent, especially as Stone has made reference to Egerton (1880) where he describes ' as Mahratta sabres (534,535).

Actually in Egerton the first reference #534 describes an iron hilt sabre , 'nimcha or tegha' date 1780, used by men of high rank.
#535 describes a nimcha of 2ft 8" from Vizianagram.

Neither is illustrated.

Curiously, Pant ("Indian Arms and Armour", Lahore, 1980, p.59) notes Stone and his description of the Moroccan nimcha correctly, however he claims that Egerton has referred to these as Mahratta sabres, which I cannot find evidence of.
Pant does claim that Egerton has wrongly equated nimcha with his own descriptions of tegha and goliah.

Clearly the term nimcha was in use in India, and as early as the years as Egerton did his research pre 1880. As Pant has noted, the term was used for 'small' in varied context, however it does not seem clearly applied as to a certain sword type.

Pant, on p.77 notes a nimcha shamshir (he often coupled terms) to refer to a 'miniature shamshir' intended for young princes, and describes it as a small sword slightly curved. He adds that one of these was used by Ibrahim Quli Khan in 1725 in an attack at Gujerat, noting reference to it from an 1889 record (A copy of the Akbar Nama).
It is unclear whether the narrative of the 1725 event uses the term nimcha or whether this was appended by Pant.

On p,169, Pant also notes that smaller jamadhars (katars) with blades 3-6" are referred to as 'nimcha' (=small).

These notes may add more benchmark data to seek more on the nimcha term.

We know that the Buttin reference (1933) #1009 to one of the Hadhramati style nimchas is simply referred to as Arab sa'if.

In the 2002 update of Egerton's 1896 revision including Arab arms,
#194 is one of the 'peaked' hilt style swords seen in the Stone plate, which is noted as probably a presentation sword of the 18th c. The nimcha term is absent.
#196 is one of the 'Hadhramauti' (sharply canted hilts) listed as Arab and from Yemen, and 'bought at Cairo'. Cairo would seem to have been an outfitting center and this with likely European blade. Again, the nimcha term is absent.

So now we can look into other references beyond these more familiar ones.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Excellent entry Estcrh!! Thank you.
I would like to add some notes which might be pertinent, especially as Stone has made reference to Egerton (1880) where he describes ' as Mahratta sabres (534,535).

Actually in Egerton the first reference #534 describes an iron hilt sabre , 'nimcha or tegha' date 1780, used by men of high rank.
#535 describes a nimcha of 2ft 8" from Vizianagram.

Neither is illustrated.

Curiously, Pant ("Indian Arms and Armour", Lahore, 1980, p.59) notes Stone and his description of the Moroccan nimcha correctly, however he claims that Egerton has referred to these as Mahratta sabres, which I cannot find evidence of.
Pant does claim that Egerton has wrongly equated nimcha with his own descriptions of tegha and goliah.

Clearly the term nimcha was in use in India, and as early as the years as Egerton did his research pre 1880. As Pant has noted, the term was used for 'small' in varied context, however it does not seem clearly applied as to a certain sword type.

Pant, on p.77 notes a nimcha shamshir (he often coupled terms) to refer to a 'miniature shamshir' intended for young princes, and describes it as a small sword slightly curved. He adds that one of these was used by Ibrahim Quli Khan in 1725 in an attack at Gujerat, noting reference to it from an 1889 record (A copy of the Akbar Nama).
It is unclear whether the narrative of the 1725 event uses the term nimcha or whether this was appended by Pant.

On p,169, Pant also notes that smaller jamadhars (katars) with blades 3-6" are referred to as 'nimcha' (=small).

These notes may add more benchmark data to seek more on the nimcha term.

We know that the Buttin reference (1933) #1009 to one of the Hadhramati style nimchas is simply referred to as Arab sa'if.

In the 2002 update of Egerton's 1896 revision including Arab arms,
#194 is one of the 'peaked' hilt style swords seen in the Stone plate, which is noted as probably a presentation sword of the 18th c. The nimcha term is absent.
#196 is one of the 'Hadhramauti' (sharply canted hilts) listed as Arab and from Yemen, and 'bought at Cairo'. Cairo would seem to have been an outfitting center and this with likely European blade. Again, the nimcha term is absent.

So now we can look into other references beyond these more familiar ones.

Buttin in his catalogue refers to all his “nimcha” swords as saifs. He considers the type as the quintessential Arab sabre, with relatively minor differences in Moroccan swords, and attributes the origin of its form to a Sinhalese prototype.
I found another reference to the Indian nimcha, in a report by the French consul to Calcutta, describing the international exhibition of 1883. He mentions several swords from the Deccan by name, including the “Nimcha, a short sword, carried by the lower classes”.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Andreas

Buttin in his catalogue refers to all his “nimcha” swords as saifs. He considers the type as the quintessential Arab sabre, with relatively minor differences in Moroccan swords, and attributes the origin of its form to a Sinhalese prototype.
I found another reference to the Indian nimcha, in a report by the French consul to Calcutta, describing the international exhibition of 1883. He mentions several swords from the Deccan by name, including the “Nimcha, a short sword, carried by the lower classes”.

Andreas, thank you so much! This is exactly what I always hope for in these discussions, other references not previously included; other sword examples from private collections as kindly posted by Kronckew; pertinent illustrative examples as always graciously entered by Estcrh and the key engagement in varying aspects of the topic by Ibrahiim.

These things are how we can bring the knowledge and advance on the understanding of these forms, as a team.

As you note, Buttin(publ.1933) did indeed refer collectively to these groups of sabres as Arabian saif, which I believe he felt served better to describe the entire spectrum rather than variations....though he does specify Moroccan in some examples. It is unclear whether he knew of, or used the term 'nimcha' in his collections or works.
In going through old notes, I found one of the key articles on this topic from Connoisseur magazine December 1975, by the Anthony North, " A Late 15th Century Italian Sword".
In the article he addresses the similarities in the Moroccan saif with an Italian short sabre of 15th century. In this Charles Buttin is mentioned with his comparisons of the kastane of Ceylon with European swords . In a paper he wrote ("Les Poignards et Les Sabres Marocaines", 'Hesperis' tome XXVI,published 1939), he noted an example of this hilt system as Spanish, however as North points out this was a North Italian sword in actuality.

I recall personal discussions with one of the Buttin family from 2004, and it was noted that Charles believed that the European swords had been influenced by the kastane. Obviously the early views of even the most venerable of authorities can have possible errors, just as his dating of some hilts of this form to the 14th and 15th century.
The earliest example we have found of the kastane with its guard in the familiar form is c. 1622 (probably slightly earlier).
The earliest known examples of the 'Moroccan' hilts are in English paintings of 1628 and 1640 .

There does seem to be a void between the late 15th century and the known 17th century examples of these swords in Morocco.
As noted swords with these style hilts are known in Mediterranian context with Italy late 15th, Moroccan early 17th, with the curious examples from India apparently later reflecting probable Arab influence via Hyderabad.
As noted, the kastane has its earliest appearance early 17th c.

So our question is , 'where are the examples of these distinctive multi quillon hilts in the 16th century? Perhaps knowing the location of their notable presence then might reveal more on the diffusion of the hilt form.

As for the term 'nimcha' it does seem selectively used but most evidence points to Indian context, although it does not seem to have been clearly understood by Egerton. Also another curious conflict, in Egerton it is noted the 'nimcha' was used by upper classes, however his emphasis seems to have been on the Deccan to Mahratta regions........the French consul noted by Andreas states conversely, the nimcha to lower classes?

[kronckew]

as mentioned in your last pgh. above, the 'lower' classes in many of these areas were the indigenous populations, the upper or ruling classes in the arab world of the time usually meant the turks, (and/or the brits ) who had their own historic arms systems. arms of the lower classes were not necessarily inferior in quality and effectiveness to those of their masters... as many of the latter found out. us colonials can be stroppy.