guardless nimcha

[kronckew]

the french ecole de mars sword is on my list of swords to acquire. at it's bottom. one of the ugliest useless cumbersome looking swords i have seen including some modern frangible stainless steel 'fantasy' wall hangers. i include the ecole in the 'fantasy' category, it's only saving grace is that it is not stainless.the steel part of the guard & knuckle guard is it's best feature tho. they should have used that bit and left off the thick rectangular part of the guard. the blade looks too short and the point is way too obtuse. example below.

it is an award to be treasured by those who actually won and were presented with them, a tribute to their performance at the ecole, but the school could have used a better design. it looks like it was designed by a committee. the spanish swords with their proximity to the iberian arab world and morocco may be closer. example also below.

or the itlaian connections mentioned earlier, as in my falchion (sharp repro) way below which is even better.

[Jim McDougall]

These Ecole swords are indeed pretty unattractive and of course intended only for ceremonial or parade use, but their rarity is probably the most compelling factor for collectors. They are intriguing curiosities and seem to have some degree of connection in some fraternal type weapons, which are also gaining in popularity in collecting.

Good points on the Nasrid broadsword shown, and these swords may well have been what prompted Charles Buttin's suggestion for Spanish origin of these quillon arrangements. There was of course as mentioned considerable interaction between Italy and Spain through royal and diplomatic channels through the centuries, so tight similarities are not surprising.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

These Ecole swords are indeed pretty unattractive and of course intended only for ceremonial or parade use, but their rarity is probably the most compelling factor for collectors. They are intriguing curiosities and seem to have some degree of connection in some fraternal type weapons, which are also gaining in popularity in collecting.

Good points on the Nasrid broadsword shown, and these swords may well have been what prompted Charles Buttin's suggestion for Spanish origin of these quillon arrangements. There was of course as mentioned considerable interaction between Italy and Spain through royal and diplomatic channels through the centuries, so tight similarities are not surprising.

Salaams Jim, Regarding quillons; The quillon style on North African Nimcha appears as a tear drop type whereas in Zanzibar Nimcha they are often Zoomorphic in design. Could it be that design structure was very much the domain of local fashion/craftsmanship allowing this form to flourish on Indian Ocean basin weapons. This form of quillon appears on Indian/Afghan Tulvar, Castane and Nimcha. The North African version takes its design from Italian and or Spanish design as a tear drop.

Pommels; I suggest that each of the variations in the two otherwise very similar weapons carries localized form including the pommel differences and gilded designs from similar African comb types as well as the zoomorphic shape atop the Zanzibar pommel (a Turtle?) the silver crown shaped ring at above the cross guard, the geometric straight lines in the pommel similar to the Castane, and the lionesque form of pommel with wide open mouth...

Blades...Help!! ...Does anyone have a stock answer to the variation in blades as the one below looks like an Afghan style stamp (1X1)...Naturally being based on a Hub... The Zanzibar Hub ...there was vast potential in blade supply and variation from European to Indian, Sri Lankan to Afghan etc... There is in addition the possibility of artisans from Sri Lanka actually working in Zanzibar putting the sword together in some sort of coordinated workshops? (although we have no knowledge of a Royal Workshop it is highly likely there was one)

Regional Players... All the major players were in the Indian Ocean and the EIC was known to have sword blades circulating from Bombay...The Portuguese who invented the term "Bombay" were prolific in trade dealing all around the region and particularly the Comores, Madagascar et al. French intervention in the late 19thC was also instrumental and must be considered when looking at this weapons development as is the probable input via Cairo and the Red Sea both the latter situations underlining the possible design flow of Algerian style...when many revolutionaries were banished to New Caledonia and the Comores..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All,

Please note that Buttin placed three magnificent charts of swords containing what we term Nimcha and other weapons of various geographical areas; African, Arab and Oriental. I place all three here for reference.

I assume Buttin had all the swords in front of him and photographed. I see that he notes the Zanzibar Ivory hilt with gold decoration as Oriental. What link does he mean with the inclusion of the axes and how does that relate with the Ottoman Yatagan weapons with the eared pommels? ...

He pictures presumably for comparison and suggestion of a linkage with Castane and other derivatives... suggesting a design link which I find fascinating... but no linkage to other Indian weapons such as Tulvar on the Quillon question...but so far as I can see no details on point of manufacture. Neither does he appear to make a hypothesis on the actual link between North African and Zanzibari styles which is the sign of a great researcher leaving perhaps a later student to accomplish that task... Note also the placement of the Omani Dancing swords and Terrs Shield in the Africa section understandably because of the Zanj/Zanzibar involvement of Said the Great...and perhaps since Burton also placed these as Zanzibari in his book; The Book of The Sword.

Your input is requested.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.