Swords a la Portuguese

[Marc]

Thanks, Fernando
I'll give it a try.

[Philip]

Thanks, Fernando, for both the images and the link to a possible source for this book.

The "crab" style sword hilts (I prefer the Portuguese "colhoes" or testicles name as far more descriptive of these overseas imitations) are indeed typical of the Iberian peninsula during the period encompassing the beginning of the "Age of Discoveries". I haven't been able to verify if the style originated in Portugal or Spain; the most often published examples are those associated with Spanish notables, notably King Fernando I and "El Gran Capitan" Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba, both of whom flourished at the turn of the 16th cent. See Ada Brun Hoffmeyer's article "From Medieval Sword to Renaissance Rapier" in ART, ARMS, AND ARMOUR (ed. Robert Held, Chiasso [Switz.]: Acquafresca Editrice, 1979) for photos of hilts of both weapons. Fernando's sword has rounded terminals to the principal quillons that are related to the testicles, whereas Gonzalo's hilt has flattened ends. It's interesting to note that the colonial imitations have much smaller pommels than their European predecessors, and I'm wondering if the blades on them might be thinner so that less counterbalance in the hilt is necessary.

You are right, there is so little info at present that will allow us to definitively identify Portuguese swords as separate in design from their Spanish or Italian equivalents.

In the case of firearms, it is rather easier to distinguish some distinctly Portuguese types because of mechanical and aesthetic differences that were prominent during the 16th and 17th centuries. However, as the 18th cent. progressed on into the 19th, Lusitanian gun makers began making more pieces in the prevailing Spanish and French styles and without signatures, it can be hard to tell some of the products apart. Daenhardt is a good source of info in this field.

[Marc]

Well, the Portugese ones have these flat, circular quillion ends (hence the "colhoes" ), the Spanish ones tend to widen progressively. Cut-out designs there and in the pommels are not uncommon in both types. Also, the proportions guard - pas d'ane - grip - pommel are different between the Spanish and the Portugese models, as tends to be the typology of the blades.

There's also the exemplars so kindly made available in Antonio's page

Of course, there's a lot of variations and exemplars that stand in the blurry middle ground (that's the thing with the "mutual influences"...), but there's some ground for distinguishing them. But there's not THAT many surviving exemplars, that's why I jumped to the chance of getting this book. Now, if I could manage to get Daenhardt's in a better shape than the lousy photocopies I have now...

Here, pics of the ones Philip have mentioned plus a couple more. Up to down and left to right:
Fernando the Catholic King's (Granada), the so-called Fernando the Catholic King's in the Real Armería (Royal Armoury) in Madrid, the so-called Gran Capitan's also in the Real Armería in Madrid, and finally the so-called El Cid's Tizona, formerly in the Army Museum in Madrid.

[Philip]

Thanks, Marc, for the additional images and info.
I was recently in Israel, examining some interesting things in private collections and noted some outstanding examples of Moroccan sabers (nimcha) and Zanzibar sabers (sayf) with hilt elements bearing remarkable similarity to the multiple, forward-curving quillons on the Spanish swords you illustrated.

Both Morocco and Zanzibar hilts have primary and secondary stems on the guards which bend forward. In the case of these sabers, the guards are of course asymmetrical because a knucklebow is on one side. Another modification is that the twin stems on the dorsal side both curve alike, without the "inner" one circling back to the blade as with the Iberian form (French writers on the subject maintain that they were designed this way as "blade catchers"). You might want to refer to Alain Jacob's LES ARMES-BLANCHES DU MONDE ISLAMIQUE, Paris, J. Grancher 1985) for a number of illustrated examples.

The Zanzibar hilts are even more interesting: there is a pas d'ane joining the quillons on one side of the hilt.

Considering Morocco's proximity to the Iberian Peninsula (and its site of the famous battle of Al Qasr el-Kebir between Moors and Portuguese in 1584), and the early Portuguese presence on the coast of Africa and into the Indian Ocean, there seems no doubt as to the origin of the guard designs on both the nimchas and Zanzibar sayfs.

[fernando]

At this moment i am in Lisbon, visiting my daughter.
I have been, as usual, at Daehnhardt's shop. Besides having bought a ( aledgely ) Portuguese XVIII century plug bayonet, which might in fact be from Azores, as its grip is composed with what looks to be whale bone, i have acquired a catalogue of an auction that took place in 1989, because it contains various pictures of ( really ) Portuguese weapons. The amazing thing is that it had for sale the sword that appears in the first picture of above mentioned Antonio's page, which means that Rainer Daeehnhardt must have bought this sword at such auction ... can you beleive it ?
In the catalogue text they confirm that only five of these swords are known to exist. There seems to be one more in Spain, which is item nr. 59 of Institute Valencia y Don Juan, in Madrid. A fourth one was found recently ( from the catalogue's date ) between the walls of a Portuguese Palace, and now kept in Daehnhardt's collection. This would mean that he now keeps the two existing specimens in Portugal. Eventually and still according to the text, this sword, found in a tomb in a Portuguese convent, has the blade broken and the tip missing but, due to its historical value, nobody had yet dared to restore it. It happens that i have arranged with the shop keeper to meet Rainer himself tomorrow, in his other Cascais shop, to ask him for some details on the plug bayonet. I will then ask him to coment on his probable acquisition of the sword at the auction, and if has decided to restore it.
Marc, what do you mean by lousy photocopies ? Are you referring to the pictures contained in his book Homens Espadas e Tomates ? Can i help you with some scanning ? Also this book is vailable and not expensive.
I can also scan the picture of the sword in the auction catalogue, which has a reasonable quality. Also there was another copy of the catalogue left in the shop; it costs 20 euros. If ever i can help in any way, just tell, as also Philip.
BTW, the correct term applied by the discoveries soldiers was espada "colhona", an humoristic made up derivation of the vernacular term "colhão" ... actually with a more vernacular charge in Portugal than in Spain, i would say

[Marc]

The Bereber kingdoms had mixed relationships with the Islamic dominions in the Iberian peninsula throughout their history... it was during the time of last Nasrid Caliphs (mid-late 15th c.) that these hilts developed.

To be fully sincere, I find that the relationship between this kind of guards and the so-called nimcha and Zanzibar swords deserves a deeper study, although I don't expect to find any direct link. But that's because I'm afraid I lack too much data... To start with, I would like to know when these guards first start to appear in the Maghrib and in Arabia, and if it is possible to clarify where they appeared first. My preliminary bets would go to them going from Arabia to the Maghrib, and not the other way around, just for a question of raw power of influence. Besides, I've seen at least one exemplar of "Zanzibar", with stems (in Spanish they are called pitones) in the hilt and a short(ish), wide, cutting blade, with traces of etched designs and inscriptions in Arabic, but with a koftgariand enamel decoration typical of North African late exemplars. What it means, is hard to say without knowing where it came from and an approximate date for it, but at least it bears witness of a cross-influence. Too many questions and far too little data for anything but preliminary hypothesis, for now, at least in my case... gotta get a hold of that article relating these swords with Genoa, I've heard this argument a lot of times and would really love to see the data that led to that conclusion, it would probably dispel some of my doubts. Funny, this is one of the many questions that I have permanently in the back of my mind, probably because I like this type of swords so much...

How are the secondary arms of the guard called in English? I can't recall right now... in Spanish they are called patillas, "little legs" (and also "sideburns", funnily enough).

Fernando, thank you very much for your offer. The photocopies I have are from what I think is a small catalogue of the Daehnhardt's collection, or at least a part of it. I got them in the fly, a long time ago, without being really able to ask for details (one of these "take it or leave it" things, but I just couldn't let pass the chance of having at least a small glimpse into one of the most important arms collections in the Iberian Peninsula). I don't know if such a catalogue really exists and is still available somewhere...
Congratulations on your purchase by the way
And about being the sword in the auction... well, arms collecting and studying is a small world, after all. Spend some time in it, and you start to find the same names again and again and again...

There's some more swords of this design in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, at least the Spanish variation, some in Museums, some in private hands. One of them is indeed the beautiful exemplar in the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid:

[fernando]

In fact, Rainer Daehnhardt has bought that rare navigator's sword at the auction, and even another one, also taken from a tomb, and in a very bad excavated condition. So now he has three specimens, so many as those existing in Spain. As Mark says, arms collecting is a confined circuit. Anyway this man is quite a character, his collection inventory is measured by the thousand multiple. Given the fact that Philip has his famous book Homens Espadas e Tomates but the texts are in Portuguese, and also that i have just posed Mr. Raehnhardt some ( layman ) questions on this subject, let me here try and offer a couple coments to your remarks.
Fernando's sword has rounded terminals to the principal quillons that are related to the testicles, whereas Gonzalo's hilt has flattened ends.
The version of Gran Capitan de Cordoba was in fact the most used style by Portuguese, Spaniards and Italians. Eventualy, and with my respects to Antonio Cejunior, the fifth picture in the above shown Antonio's page, a 1500's navigator sword, is quoted in Daehnhardt's book as being of Venetian origin.The version with the round quillons (guardas or quartões ) appears to be a Portuguese exclusive, mostly used and developed in the Portuguese strongholds in Africa. Known as colhona by rank and file, it was listed in inventories as Espada Preta de Bordo ( Board black sword ). They were painted black, to avoid rust and light reflexion, and they were considered ( also) for naval use. Outstandingly in some specimens, the round quillons are found quite sharpened, which sugests that these parts were also used as weapons for close combat.
It's interesting to note that the colonial imitations have much smaller pommels than their European predecessors.
European specimens were in fact of highly noticeable superior quality, but in colonial pieces some differences could be noticed between those made by Portuguese smiths detached to Africa, like to the Fort of São Jorge da Mina, and those made by Indigenous imitators, like those from Congo, who kept making them till a much later period. The tangs could just be bent at the pommel end, and not riveted, as also other finishing details would be neglected, like the pommel size. However the blades could be of similar quality, as all imported from Spain and Germany, which makes it harder to distinguish one from the other.
French writers on the subject maintain that they were designed this way as "blade catchers"
Actually Daehnhardt also quotes this possibility.

Hi Mark,
Ablout your observation:
To be fully sincere, I find that the relationship between this kind of guards and the so-called nimcha and Zanzibar swords deserves a deeper study
Daehnhardt sugests that Portuguese influence extends from the Morocan Nimcha to the Cingalese Kastane.
BTW, I must warn you that, in the book i have sugested and provided the link, the only crab swords shown are those in the pictures i have posted above. The many others are of different weaponry.
On the other hand, Homens Espadas e Tomates is well within this area of Discoveries Swords, having already sold several thousand copies ( some six editions from three different editors ) and costs something like 20 euros.
If i manage to deal with my wild scanner, i will send you copy of some pages, for you to have an idea of how interesting it is for you ... or not.
Kind regards
fernando

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Marc

The Bereber kingdoms had mixed relationships with the Islamic dominions in the Iberian peninsula throughout their history... it was during the time of last Nasrid Caliphs (mid-late 15th c.) that these hilts developed.

To be fully sincere, I find that the relationship between this kind of guards and the so-called nimcha and Zanzibar swords deserves a deeper study, although I don't expect to find any direct link. But that's because I'm afraid I lack too much data... To start with, I would like to know when these guards first start to appear in the Maghrib and in Arabia, and if it is possible to clarify where they appeared first. My preliminary bets would go to them going from Arabia to the Maghrib, and not the other way around, just for a question of raw power of influence. Besides, I've seen at least one exemplar of "Zanzibar", with stems (in Spanish they are called pitones) in the hilt and a short(ish), wide, cutting blade, with traces of etched designs and inscriptions in Arabic, but with a koftgariand enamel decoration typical of North African late exemplars. What it means, is hard to say without knowing where it came from and an approximate date for it, but at least it bears witness of a cross-influence. Too many questions and far too little data for anything but preliminary hypothesis, for now, at least in my case... gotta get a hold of that article relating these swords with Genoa, I've heard this argument a lot of times and would really love to see the data that led to that conclusion, it would probably dispel some of my doubts. Funny, this is one of the many questions that I have permanently in the back of my mind, probably because I like this type of swords so much...

How are the secondary arms of the guard called in English? I can't recall right now... in Spanish they are called patillas, "little legs" (and also "sideburns", funnily enough).

Fernando, thank you very much for your offer. The photocopies I have are from what I think is a small catalogue of the Daehnhardt's collection, or at least a part of it. I got them in the fly, a long time ago, without being really able to ask for details (one of these "take it or leave it" things, but I just couldn't let pass the chance of having at least a small glimpse into one of the most important arms collections in the Iberian Peninsula). I don't know if such a catalogue really exists and is still available somewhere...
Congratulations on your purchase by the way
And about being the sword in the auction... well, arms collecting and studying is a small world, after all. Spend some time in it, and you start to find the same names again and again and again...

There's some more swords of this design in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, at least the Spanish variation, some in Museums, some in private hands. One of them is indeed the beautiful exemplar in the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid:

Salaams Marc, In respect of your fine details and about the Zanzibari odd example ... Perhaps this has been clarified already however, your description clearly seems to be of a Moroccan Nimcha not Zanzibari underscored by the pitones and koftgari not seen on Zanzibar Nimchas. What shape is the Knuckleguard and is there a simple rounded stud or a turtle shape on the pommel top? . Is there a picture we can view of this example ?
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.