Is this from East Africa, Arabia ... or where?

LJ · 30th May 2014, 09:25 PM

Would anybody like to offer their thoughts on where this knife might have been made? The blade is sharp on the inside curve (the outside edge being 'flat'). The handle is horn, but I don't think it is rhino horn: it is fixed to the tang by two rivets. At the end of the handle a smaller piece of horn is held in place with rivets and a metal plate. The wooden sheath is covered with thin leather: grooves are cut into the wood, and I guess the leather has been pressed into them when wet to create the pattern. A band of string near the tip helps to hold the two halves of the sheath together.

My guess is "somewhere in the Middle East". Possibly the Horn of Africa, or possibly Arabian Peninsula. But then, I could be wrong !

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 31st May 2014, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJ

Would anybody like to offer their thoughts on where this knife might have been made? The blade is sharp on the inside curve (the outside edge being 'flat'). The handle is horn, but I don't think it is rhino horn: it is fixed to the tang by two rivets. At the end of the handle a smaller piece of horn is held in place with rivets and a metal plate. The wooden sheath is covered with thin leather: grooves are cut into the wood, and I guess the leather has been pressed into them when wet to create the pattern. A band of string near the tip helps to hold the two halves of the sheath together.

My guess is "somewhere in the Middle East". Possibly the Horn of Africa, or possibly Arabian Peninsula. But then, I could be wrong !

Salaams LJ, Looks African in the decoration on the scabbard but could be Indian...Probably not Arabian ...

Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

colin henshaw · 31st May 2014, 03:15 PM

My vote would be for the northern part of the Indian sub-continent somewhere...

LJ · 1st June 2014, 09:17 PM

Many thanks for your thoughts on this. I should have thought of northern India ... but didn't ! Which shows how easy it is to fall into a narrow way of thinking.

Wasn't it Egerton (in his book on Indian arms and armour) who mentioned that curved northern Indian blades have the cutting edge on the INSIDE, and southern Indian blades have the cutting edge on the OUTSIDE. When you think of the movement of people, as well as artefacts, around the subcontinent, this is surprising - I would expect a mixture of styles everywhere - yet it seems to be true.

spiral · 1st June 2014, 10:43 PM

Arabic Africa would be my vote, not India,,,,

Spiral

LJ · 2nd June 2014, 09:30 PM

Were you thinking of Africa-North-of-the-Sahara, or of 'Sudanic' Africa: perhaps Mali/Northern Nigeria ? I have a feeling that the scabbard, and particularly those distinctive carved grooves, might help to nail the locality - but I can't remember seeing anything like it.

30th May 2014, 09:25 PM	#1
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Is this from East Africa, Arabia ... or where? Would anybody like to offer their thoughts on where this knife might have been made? The blade is sharp on the inside curve (the outside edge being 'flat'). The handle is horn, but I don't think it is rhino horn: it is fixed to the tang by two rivets. At the end of the handle a smaller piece of horn is held in place with rivets and a metal plate. The wooden sheath is covered with thin leather: grooves are cut into the wood, and I guess the leather has been pressed into them when wet to create the pattern. A band of string near the tip helps to hold the two halves of the sheath together. My guess is "somewhere in the Middle East". Possibly the Horn of Africa, or possibly Arabian Peninsula. But then, I could be wrong ! Attached Images

31st May 2014, 03:15 PM	#3
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	My vote would be for the northern part of the Indian sub-continent somewhere...

1st June 2014, 09:17 PM	#4
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Many thanks for your thoughts on this. I should have thought of northern India ... but didn't ! Which shows how easy it is to fall into a narrow way of thinking. Wasn't it Egerton (in his book on Indian arms and armour) who mentioned that curved northern Indian blades have the cutting edge on the INSIDE, and southern Indian blades have the cutting edge on the OUTSIDE. When you think of the movement of people, as well as artefacts, around the subcontinent, this is surprising - I would expect a mixture of styles everywhere - yet it seems to be true.

1st June 2014, 10:43 PM	#5
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Arabic Africa would be my vote, not India,,,, Spiral

2nd June 2014, 09:30 PM	#6
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Were you thinking of Africa-North-of-the-Sahara, or of 'Sudanic' Africa: perhaps Mali/Northern Nigeria ? I have a feeling that the scabbard, and particularly those distinctive carved grooves, might help to nail the locality - but I can't remember seeing anything like it.