THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOROCCAN AND A ZANZIBARI NIMCHA.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 4th September 2016, 02:51 PM

Worth noting is that the Moroccan Nimcha is normally worn on a sling; over the shoulder style baldric...as at # 17.

The Moroccan may also carry a lot of Arabic script on the blade...as below;

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 10th September 2016, 09:07 PM

Rare Artwork from the Orientalist stable....

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 10th September 2016, 09:26 PM

A strange sword with a hilt inspired by...?

TVV · 13th September 2016, 08:19 AM

What about this sword: Zanzibar, Yemen or the Maghreb?

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 13th September 2016, 12:16 PM

Likely Zanzibar despite the cross guard although there are crossguards on some Nimcha at Butins plate 30 see charts at this thread.... We can not see the top of the pommel so not sure if the Turtle figure is intact but the hilt with a downward tilt to the pommel is certainly present. This is in the classic Butin form and shows the cross guard style. Zanzibar.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 13th September 2016, 05:37 PM

So where is this form from and is the hilt related to the Somalian dagger hilt shown...? The Billao; A billao (Somali: billaawe), also known as a belawa, is a horn-hilted Somali shortsword. It served most notably as a close-quarters weapon in the Dervish State, at the turn of the 20th century.
The dagger has a double-edged, leaf-shaped, asymmetrical blade and a three-pronged pommel. One-pronged pommels with the metal tang protruding out from the center of the hilt

I place a Yemeni Nimcha variant on white background with silver in the Hilt for further comparison...Are they related?

The indications are that the project weapon is typical for a Saudia Arabian style with an all silvered hilt. Plate 30 Butin shows 1009 as being the same weapon which he simply calls Arabian.

TVV · 13th September 2016, 09:17 PM

Ibrahim, I personally am not so sure about the connection between the prongs on Hadramaut saifs and Somalian billaos. The three pronged billaos appear to be later, from the first half of the 20th century when Somalia was an Italian colony. The older, ivory hilted billaos I have only seen with one prong. Do you have a picture of a 3-pronged, older billao?

Teodor

4th September 2016, 02:51 PM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Worth noting is that the Moroccan Nimcha is normally worn on a sling; over the shoulder style baldric...as at # 17. The Moroccan may also carry a lot of Arabic script on the blade...as below; Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 4th September 2016 at 03:17 PM.

10th September 2016, 09:07 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Rare Artwork from the Orientalist stable.... Attached Images

10th September 2016, 09:26 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	A strange sword with a hilt inspired by...? Attached Images

13th September 2016, 08:19 AM	#4
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	What about this sword: Zanzibar, Yemen or the Maghreb? Attached Images

13th September 2016, 05:37 PM	#6
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	So where is this form from and is the hilt related to the Somalian dagger hilt shown...? The Billao; A billao (Somali: billaawe), also known as a belawa, is a horn-hilted Somali shortsword. It served most notably as a close-quarters weapon in the Dervish State, at the turn of the 20th century. The dagger has a double-edged, leaf-shaped, asymmetrical blade and a three-pronged pommel. One-pronged pommels with the metal tang protruding out from the center of the hilt I place a Yemeni Nimcha variant on white background with silver in the Hilt for further comparison...Are they related? The indications are that the project weapon is typical for a Saudia Arabian style with an all silvered hilt. Plate 30 Butin shows 1009 as being the same weapon which he simply calls Arabian. Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 13th September 2016 at 05:52 PM.

13th September 2016, 12:16 PM	#5
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Likely Zanzibar despite the cross guard although there are crossguards on some Nimcha at Butins plate 30 see charts at this thread.... We can not see the top of the pommel so not sure if the Turtle figure is intact but the hilt with a downward tilt to the pommel is certainly present. This is in the classic Butin form and shows the cross guard style. Zanzibar.

13th September 2016, 09:17 PM	#7
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	Ibrahim, I personally am not so sure about the connection between the prongs on Hadramaut saifs and Somalian billaos. The three pronged billaos appear to be later, from the first half of the 20th century when Somalia was an Italian colony. The older, ivory hilted billaos I have only seen with one prong. Do you have a picture of a 3-pronged, older billao? Teodor