Ethiopian scabbard mounting
 

Enclosed please find some pictures for pleasure.

Very nice Martin.

I do like the form of the top one most of all.
The interlocking "chains", does this motif have a name? I have seen it on many pommels, some of which may still be here with me somewhere.

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

Yes, interlocking chains were relatively frequent motif. Unfortunately, I do not know if it has any name. I think it was made of stamped plates and despite of its typicalness for Abyssinian mountings, I am of the opinion it is not characteristic for Abyssinian silver(brass)smithts. So maybe the stamped plates were imported. Typical Abassinian work is fligree ...

Martin

Outstanding examples of Abyssinian craftsmanship Martin!!
Especially like the almost Picasso-esque style of the Lion of Judah!

It is curious about the character of the interlocked chain type motif noted by Gav, and wonder if we might find a descriptive term. As he notes this does appear on a good number of examples. Maybe some references on Ethiopian arts and crafts might have something?

Thank you so much for sharing these!!!

Greetings, Martin. Very fine examples. I have a few. I mostly find them with daggers, but, whenever possible, I find them a "new home" and fit them to sword scabbards. Here is a Dubat (Somali warrior) dagger that I recently found. The silver "tip" decoration is very obviously from a sword scabbard and this is the way it would look once fitted as per the original design. Unfortunately, a few of the "bells" were lost. Cheers, RON

I do LOVE Ethiopian silver work!! :D