Thoughts on this lot from ebay

Flavio · 11th May 2006, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Is that really a shotel in the mix ; or another form of African sword ?

Hello Rick. There is no shotel at all. Only the first from left in the lower row is a bandia-benge sword from north congo.

Rick · 11th May 2006, 07:36 PM

Thanks Flavio !
Any chance these swords would have been carried in the Mahdist Uprising ?
Just curious .

ariel · 11th May 2006, 07:42 PM

I always knew them as Mambele from the Azande tribe. In the most recent version of "Three feathers" Sudanese dervishes emerged from under the sand and attacked the Brits with these swords. I thought that was just Hollywood confusion. Any evidence that West or Central African Moslems participated in the Mahdi rebellion?

Flavio · 11th May 2006, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

I always knew them as Mambele from the Azande tribe. In the most recent version of "Three feathers" Sudanese dervishes emerged from under the sand and attacked the Brits with these swords. I thought that was just Hollywood confusion. Any evidence that West or Central African Moslems participated in the Mahdi rebellion?

Hello Ariel. The azande swords are a little different and more rare: the point is wider and are less curved than the one on the ebay, that, to tell you the truth, i have watched wrong because this one isn't a Bandia-Benge as i have written, but a mongelima kondo (TRIBAL ARTS vol I/n1, pag 58). In the film "The Four Feathers", the last one, some dervishes carry in hand some swords that are very similar to those of the Bandia-Benge (mambeli).

picture 1: group of Mongelima kondo
picture 2: group of bandia benge mambeli
picture 3: two azande sword

ariel · 11th May 2006, 11:55 PM

And, of course, I missed one feather...

Just tells you how concentrated I was on this movie...

Spunjer · 12th May 2006, 03:09 PM

here are close ups of the krisses

http://www.historicamericana.com/pas...p?ItemId=35303

Ian · 12th May 2006, 05:24 PM

Thanks Ron. The close ups help a lot. The top kris certainly seems to be an older form, possibly 18th C. if we believe Cato's classification. At one time this had a larger pommel, perhaps junggayan, that has been lost. This sword would take some time to restore but it is probably fairly valuable as an older example. The other appears to have a small ivory kakatua and also would need some restoration IMO. Again, quite a valuable example.

Even with the costs of restoration work, the purchaser could probably recoup most of his/her investment by restoring and selling these two swords.

Ian.

11th May 2006, 07:36 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,344	Thanks Flavio ! Any chance these swords would have been carried in the Mahdist Uprising ? Just curious .

11th May 2006, 07:42 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I always knew them as Mambele from the Azande tribe. In the most recent version of "Three feathers" Sudanese dervishes emerged from under the sand and attacked the Brits with these swords. I thought that was just Hollywood confusion. Any evidence that West or Central African Moslems participated in the Mahdi rebellion?

11th May 2006, 11:55 PM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	And, of course, I missed one feather... Just tells you how concentrated I was on this movie...

12th May 2006, 03:09 PM	#6
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	here are close ups of the krisses http://www.historicamericana.com/pas...p?ItemId=35303

12th May 2006, 05:24 PM	#7
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,429	Thanks Ron. The close ups help a lot. The top kris certainly seems to be an older form, possibly 18th C. if we believe Cato's classification. At one time this had a larger pommel, perhaps junggayan, that has been lost. This sword would take some time to restore but it is probably fairly valuable as an older example. The other appears to have a small ivory kakatua and also would need some restoration IMO. Again, quite a valuable example. Even with the costs of restoration work, the purchaser could probably recoup most of his/her investment by restoring and selling these two swords. Ian.