Latest kaskara for comment

Mefidk · 27th December 2020, 08:50 PM

Hi Marc
I have a very similar sword (blade at least). I associate these fuller decorations with Ethiopian influence, and the blade I was always assuming is not locally made but a trade blade of some form. Like yours mine has a panel with numbers which is rather strange. The lion marks look identical between your blade and mine, also the decoration. I think these were therefore trade blades of some kind. Your hand marks are not present on mine and look like a later addition to me.

Some pictures of my example here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/phgeUZgdUYjMEXQS9

Apart from the blade the rest of the fittings and scabbard for mine are of lower quality, scabbard is also unusual in that it is plain and does not follow the usual patterns of other kaskara. The sword itself is on the smaller end of the kaskara scale.

So all in all I had attributed these to cross over between Sudan and Ethiopia, and not that old, very early 20th C. Of course I'm interested to be proved wrong though

Best regards,
Chris

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27th December 2020, 08:50 PM	#12
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Hi Marc I have a very similar sword (blade at least). I associate these fuller decorations with Ethiopian influence, and the blade I was always assuming is not locally made but a trade blade of some form. Like yours mine has a panel with numbers which is rather strange. The lion marks look identical between your blade and mine, also the decoration. I think these were therefore trade blades of some kind. Your hand marks are not present on mine and look like a later addition to me. Some pictures of my example here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/phgeUZgdUYjMEXQS9 Apart from the blade the rest of the fittings and scabbard for mine are of lower quality, scabbard is also unusual in that it is plain and does not follow the usual patterns of other kaskara. The sword itself is on the smaller end of the kaskara scale. So all in all I had attributed these to cross over between Sudan and Ethiopia, and not that old, very early 20th C. Of course I'm interested to be proved wrong though Best regards, Chris