Sudanese spear scepter
 

Just picked this up on eBay. Seems to be a Mahdi period piece?

Looking forward to seeing better pictures. The butt end look like aluminium and before people think aluminium means around mid 20th century. Most European armies were issued aluminium mess tin well before WW1 and cookware companies were supplying aluminium pots and pans in the 1890s and perhaps even earlier. Like plastic bowls and buckets I bet the African market lapped them up. Easy to melt and turn into all sort of things.

I havent fully researched it Tim, but I thought Aluminium only became a non precious metel around 1912 to 1914 era? So saucepans seem rather unlikely?

Or perahaps Im mistaken?

Id also guess zinc & tin also have a similar apprence in a low res. photo.

Spiral

Have a better look ;)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251067015071...ht_4481wt_1081

Quote {power house of cookware 1893-1920} Just a quick look.

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wmh/...rticleID=26240

Mess tin dated. These were in use well before WW1

http://www.1420h.org.uk/archives/messtin/messtin.html

pre 1914 Russian Aluminiun bottles

http://www.collect-militaria.com/ind...571&page=1&c=5

De-preciousization was about 1890. Before that, fit for VIPs, capping prestige momuments, etc. After that, rapidly cheaper. Some history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#History.

I thought this sceptre/spear/thing was cute, but not really my thing. Also, Quarantine here doesn't like the import of animal products like this. At best, they tend to charge for gamma-irradiation of it before you can get it. But that's my problems with it, not yours, so congrats on a cute sceptre/spear/thing!

Here is my favourite Sudanese thing. It's modern (1970s or 1980s iirc), but supposedly made in the traditional style.

Nice piece Lew, Steel I see. :)

Hi Tim, Yes I see the International Aluminium institute says world production was up to 8000 tonnes by 1900. My error, it was a precious metal untill around 1889

The American firm you linked to started producing cookware in 1914, they original imported ally for novelties from Germany. {The Austrians & Swiss bieng the main producers apparently.}

Spiral

Interesting. Reminds me a bit of the Kordofan "dance spears" in a previous post. Maybe a cut down Mahdist spear adapted for use in ceremonial dancing ??

Africans ased and still use and apply everything, what is "on hand". The main

criterion was and is pragmatism. From this reason, there is a lot of artefacts, e.g. swords, with aluminium parts etc. Maybe they are not as nice as if they were peoduced of eg. copper etc, but, i think, it should not not derogate their value and significance