Some more objects from the RDG - kaskara (?) and spears

Jim McDougall · 23rd May 2010, 08:41 PM

Thank you so much for enhancing these images David! It really is amazing, while these to some may look like beaten up, worn old swords....To myself, and anyone who has a passion for the history of North Africa and the ethnography, they are beautiful. The example with the triple fullers of course stands to be one of the earlier of the group. The others, it is hard to be sure as they seem more sheet steel stock with a vestigial central fuller in seeing better views.
Still, I enjoyed the search for an explanation for how 'kaskaras' MIGHT have been captured at Tel el Kebir........there remains of course the profound chance that at least some of these may have been acquired later as was once proposed. My goal was of course to find support for the captioning specified by RDG.

As I have also noted many times through the years, the British troops were quite impressed with the Sudanese warriors, and there was an enormous trend for bringing back souveniers from these campaigns. It has been a well known circumstance that families in much later years who have donated items of military veterans who have passed on to museums, only knew the assumed origins of the items. Often interpolated and anecdotal stories were relayed with the items, or even worsened as the items were handed down through a generation or two.

These resulting errors in captioning in no way take from the intent of memorial to the donors or the veteran, but simply present difficulties in using the items in scholarly study. Therefore correcting any data on captions or descriptions not only enhances the value of the item historically but reinforces the purpose of the museum in preserving that history, and honoring the veterans who collected the items.

An important duty in our upcoming recognition of our traditional Memorial Day, in which many of us recognize all those who serve and who have served militarily, and particularly all who have fallen in war or battle.

23rd May 2010, 08:41 PM	#25
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Thank you so much for enhancing these images David! It really is amazing, while these to some may look like beaten up, worn old swords....To myself, and anyone who has a passion for the history of North Africa and the ethnography, they are beautiful. The example with the triple fullers of course stands to be one of the earlier of the group. The others, it is hard to be sure as they seem more sheet steel stock with a vestigial central fuller in seeing better views. Still, I enjoyed the search for an explanation for how 'kaskaras' MIGHT have been captured at Tel el Kebir........there remains of course the profound chance that at least some of these may have been acquired later as was once proposed. My goal was of course to find support for the captioning specified by RDG. As I have also noted many times through the years, the British troops were quite impressed with the Sudanese warriors, and there was an enormous trend for bringing back souveniers from these campaigns. It has been a well known circumstance that families in much later years who have donated items of military veterans who have passed on to museums, only knew the assumed origins of the items. Often interpolated and anecdotal stories were relayed with the items, or even worsened as the items were handed down through a generation or two. These resulting errors in captioning in no way take from the intent of memorial to the donors or the veteran, but simply present difficulties in using the items in scholarly study. Therefore correcting any data on captions or descriptions not only enhances the value of the item historically but reinforces the purpose of the museum in preserving that history, and honoring the veterans who collected the items. An important duty in our upcoming recognition of our traditional Memorial Day, in which many of us recognize all those who serve and who have served militarily, and particularly all who have fallen in war or battle.