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22nd January 2023, 10:50 AM | #1 | |
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Quote:
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22nd January 2023, 04:10 PM | #2 |
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It's a reused blade in an ethnic hilt, possibly Berber, try it in the ethnic forum.
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22nd January 2023, 04:49 PM | #3 |
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This is indeed a cut down cavalry blade of 1780s-90s possibly French, certainly European, could be British. This type of wood hilt is typically associated with regions in Tunisia and environs. It is hard to say how long this blade circulated in this sphere, but backswords do seem to be seen on these types .
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22nd January 2023, 05:22 PM | #4 |
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Let us then move this topic to the Ethno forum, to see how further things develop on the hilt.
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23rd January 2023, 09:53 AM | #5 |
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This is a Berber sword, most of these are attributed to Tunesia. The hilt is made of horn, which sometimes looks like wood. Many local and European import blades were used. Often with a self-made leather scabbard. Many are decorated with European marks such as crescent moon and eyelash marks which originate in Germany and Italy. It dates from the 19th century.
In 1954, Henri Lhote writes the following in his book ‘Note on the origin of Tuareg’s sword blades‘: ”II and III- Genovese marks, but also done in Germany, in Solingen, by Clemens Stamm (circa 1590); in Italy, in Padua, by Pietrus Antonio Furmigano (circa 1565); in Spain, by Juan Martinez from Toledo (circa 1565) and also by Pedro de Belmonte, of which we already spoke. The Tuareg craftsmen, who call that mark ayor, the moon, or télit, have imitated it frequently.” He referred to an illustration which I will try to add. Another photo is added of an arms dealer in Tripoli selling a similar sword. |
23rd January 2023, 10:15 AM | #6 |
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Great input, Peter .
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23rd January 2023, 05:46 PM | #7 |
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This is absolutely brilliant insight Peter! Thank you so much. As someone long fascinated with Saharan swords, I very much appreciate this added detail, especially the material from Lhote, who was an important writer on these weapons and Tuaregs.
I am curious on the 'moons', which long ago I found these referred to as 'dukari' (I think it was Rodd) and tried to find European parallels to these placed in pairs on the Tuareg blades. In Briggs they appear on 'Hausa' kaskara it appears. These makers listed are important as sources for the European blades which must have inspired the native blade makers. Tripoli was long one of the key points of entry for European blades which then entered the Trans Saharan trade routes, so easy to imagine the numbers of European blades which have likely passed through here for centuries. |
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