Interesting kaskara with brass hilt and rounded tip

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by stephen wood

...how much did it go for Iain? (am I allowed to ask? )

Is that it? how much???? What about thoughts on period (Mahdiyya) or more on regional possibilities

[stephen wood]

Sorry Jim

Here's the provenance:

"...joining the Sudan Political Service in 1907. In 1912 he married Lilian Constance Bagot daughter of The Rev. G.P. Dew and in 1917 became a barrister at Gray s Inn. Between 1918 and 1923 he served in Baghdad first as President of the Court of First Instance and then as President of the Court of Appeal. In 1923 he returned to the Sudan as Judge of the High Court - having been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in that year - and became Chief Justice of the Sudan in 1926; he received the insignia of the second class of the Order of the Nile from the King of Egypt in 1929. Between 1930 and 1936 he served as Legal Secretary to the Government of the Sudan after which he retired being created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1937."

Note the cast, yellow metal guard - often seen on the swords with thuluth blades and mushroom pommels.

[Atlantia]

What a magnificent sword. Do you have any other pictures of it Iain? It would be nice to see close ups of the decoration on the hilt and scabbard.
The quality looks excellent at this distance.

[Edster]

Very nice sword. My guess it was made in Egypt as a presentation piece. Makers used Mamluk style grip and cross guard to simulate a Sudanese kaskara. Virtually no design elements suggest to me a Sudanese origin.

Regards,
Ed

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Edster

Very nice sword. My guess it was made in Egypt as a presentation piece. Makers used Mamluk style grip and cross guard to simulate a Sudanese kaskara. Virtually no design elements suggest to me a Sudanese origin.

Regards,
Ed

Ah, I thought that at a distance the metalwork on the hilt looked Egyptian. Be interesting to compare the decoration with other pieces of that period.
Anyone got a link to the auction pictures?

[Iain]

Sadly that was the only auction picture I'm aware of. I'd forgotten to include the provenance, thanks Stephen.

I'd also wondered about an Egyptian connection, the style does seem fairly classic Mamluk? In particular the scabbard construction is certainly not normal for Sudanese swords.

If these are presentation pieces... I have to wonder if they are entirely from the early 20th century to cater to British tastes... Or if there is some old example which could give some insight instead into the influences the Sudanese swords themselves draw on? The question of course is, was the example in this thread made for the British gentleman who took it home? Or something older...

Here is the other example of the style I'm aware of - from the AMNH online collections. Donated to the museum in 1974. Interestingly there seems to be a engraving or stamp on the blade near the guard.

[Gavin Nugent]

Here are some hilt detail images, I hope they help your discussions.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by stephen wood

Sorry Jim

Here's the provenance:

"...joining the Sudan Political Service in 1907. In 1912 he married Lilian Constance Bagot daughter of The Rev. G.P. Dew and in 1917 became a barrister at Gray s Inn. Between 1918 and 1923 he served in Baghdad first as President of the Court of First Instance and then as President of the Court of Appeal. In 1923 he returned to the Sudan as Judge of the High Court - having been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in that year - and became Chief Justice of the Sudan in 1926; he received the insignia of the second class of the Order of the Nile from the King of Egypt in 1929. Between 1930 and 1936 he served as Legal Secretary to the Government of the Sudan after which he retired being created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1937."

Note the cast, yellow metal guard - often seen on the swords with thuluth blades and mushroom pommels.

Thanks Stephen!!! Thats more better!!!! I think these presentation type pieces took on quite more elaborate character during the British occupation of both Egypt and Sudan post Omdurman and as noted by provenance much later.

All the best,
Jim