THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOROCCAN AND A ZANZIBARI NIMCHA.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

I MAY BE REACHING A BIT FAR HERE BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THE LONG CURVED SWORDS EVOLVED IN COUNTRIES AND SOCIETY'S WHERE HORSES WERE USED FOR WAR. TO SHOW YOU WERE A SUCCESSFUL , POWERFUL MAN YOU NEEDED MANY THINGS. SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WERE A GOOD WAR HORSE, GOOD WEAPONS, GOOD CLOTHES AND PERHAPS ARMOR AND OF COURSE A WELL FITTED OUT GUARD OR ARMY. MUCH ATTENTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAID TO ESTABLISHING THIS IMAGE AND IT IS NECESSARY FOR A LEADER TO HAVE THESE THINGS TO LEAD MAKE ALLIES AND INTIMIDATE ENEMY'S. THIS HAS LED TO THE BREEDING OF THE ARABIAN HORSES, BEAUTIFUL WORKMANSHIP ON SADDLES, WEAPONS, CLOTHES AND ART. FIGHTING FROM HORSEBACK MADE A LONGER SWORD WITH A CURVE PRACTICAL AS THE CURVE ALLOWED A DRAW CUT FROM ABOVE ON HORSE BACK RATHER THAN A CHOP OR THRUST. THE CURVED BLADE BOTH INSIDE CURVE AS IN THE KOPESH AND OUTSIDE IN SAIF, IS FOUND ON MANY OTHER SWORDS HAVING NO CONNECTION TO HORSEMEN. BUT I WONDER WHERE AND WHY THE OUTSIDE CURVE EVOLVED ORIGINALLY AS IT IS IDEAL FOR SLICING DOWNWARD AT SPEED AS ON HORSEBACK.

Certainly this is true of Morocco regarding horses ...and there's a great addition to the subject in Saddles and Horses in the region. I did a thread on Camels previously and noted how much the Horse held sway as an important combat vehicle up til even recently... and extensively in WW1 and before.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

"And now for something completely different" ...

What is this?

It took me hours to arrive at a half believable post on how this man was interned in the New Caledonian Islands off North East Australia by the French from Anjoun in the Grand Comoros Islands off the South East coast of Africa. ....

From gravure tirée de l'Illustration, 1891,
le sultan Said Athmann, chef des rebelles d'Anjoun,
interné en Nouvelle-Calédonie.

But anyway...Grainy photo...Easy Question... What is the sword?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

The question may be obscure in that perhaps I should have said why? Why this sword? Of course it is one of those Other oriental swords at plate XXX11 of Butin on #16 and more the style we associate with Zanzibar/Oman. Michael Backman at http://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/65.html goes on to note on the decorative form of his East African comb from which the decorative style appears to be linked to this Zanzibari Sword. ...This hilt was therefor likely made in Zanzibar as it was a collecting centre for Ivory and the scabbard form is usually Oman..decorated in leather with Omani style circles. Omani artisans were in Zanzibar as part of the flow of traders/artesans from Oman as Zanzibar flourished.

Quote "
This fine and extremely rare ivory comb is a beautiful example of Zanzibar craftsmanship. Cut from a single piece of ivory, it has sixteen prongs and is inlaid on both sides with chased gold plaques. There are no losses either to the gold or the ivory. It is of an unusual form and has in the past been attributed to SriLanka, but the gold panels and the form of the ivory can now be seen to related to the ivory and gold work used on Omani-influenced sword hilts that were manufactured in Zanzibar in the eighteenth century."Unquote

The more I think about it the more I suspect the correct name for these weapons is Zanzibari...although good reason indicates their use in a broad belt across the Indian Ocean. Perhaps looking across the entire Indian Ocean basin evidence is there of the Zanzibari Nimcha form (of which there are many) on the outer Islands, Comores, Off the Zanj coast, Yemen , Oman, and including Sri Lankan style shown at Butins plate XXX11.

On the Kastana I stumble when it comes to the flimsy blade and at the quillons which are from the Vagra as opposed to any sword association... however, since when was blade style important when signifying the blade of a Nimcha? Perhaps more leeway could be extended to the Vagra form since on earlier weapons perhaps they didn't have any...? It seems to me that more than a passing note may be applied to Butin at this important plate XXX11 and other members may wish to comment...

To assist I place again the Butin Plate XXX11 the Gold Comb decoration now related to Zanzibari Hilts and the typical Omani Scabbard with circle or swirl decoration.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I just realized this one below clearly in the Sri Lankan style with the silver hilt has an inverted knuckle guard.

I note there are contradictions on Butin as one example has no Knuckleguard at all whilst the other is formed correctly...(1005/ 893 on plate XXX11) though they are slightly different interpretations of the hilt; serpent/lion.

Was Butin, therefor, pointing to a more Indian Ocean Basin interpretation of the Zanzibari Nimcha?

One question that is burning a hole in the page and to which I have no answer thus I throw it open to Forum is this... Looking at Sri Lankan style below; Is it possible that the Zanzibari (Indian Ocean Basin) form evolved directly from this Kastane type...creating a sword with quillons as per the European style and adapting the basic serpent/ lion /horse? hilt. and virtually identical knuckle guard and grip geometry?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Scabbard Furniture on The Zanzibari Nimcha.

Please view swords 1004 and 1007 on Butins chart XXX11. Below..

In what looks like an imported item the scabbard upper ring furniture is interesting and can be seen on many examples of the Zanzibari Nimcha style. Could this be an import from one of the sword making centres either in Yemen at Hadramaut or Hyderabad in India; famous for making mercenary swords?

It appears, in my view, to be a copy or direct import from the Ottoman Kilij stable. In the centre rectangle local work appears in the form of a golden square section which may be from local gold decorating workshops of the Golden Comb style...however, simple applied gold squares are an Omani jewellery technique seen below ...and I show an Omani workshop in Zanzibar where this could have easily been decorated and applied.

In conclusion this is the final technical piece regarding sword parts of the Zanzibari Nimcha and following the Omani artisan technique of sub contracting work out to local workshops much as they do today with Khanjars and swords and where several specialists can be reached and the work completed and put together as one piece. It would be not unusual for one craftsman to complete the leather scabbard whilst another did the silver adornment, another the leather decoration, another the hilt carving, and another the goldwork...final fixture and fitting etc. I suggest that this would all have been quite normal in Zanzibar in those days and that the name Zanzibari Nimcha or Saif is probably correct since in this way the entire weapon may have been made there. Several craftsmen perhaps from Oman, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and else where may have been responsible for the final product..and numerous others; Ivory traders, merchants and dealers may have also been involved.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I should add that the Zanzibari Nimcha is not known by that name in Zanzibar or Oman~ The local name is Habashi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

More backup illustrating the furniture on the scabbard; Note the play on the figure 5 dots on the bare wood scabbard ...