African saber of unknown origin
 

Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum showcasing the first antique I acquired, from someone who found it hidden in his house in France.

Please excuse the low quality of the pictures.

The saber is 65 cm long. The steel suffered some delamination near the edge and has a dark patina that makes me think it is quite old.The rear quillon looks broken off. The handle and D guard are both wrapped in a leather I am not qualified enough to identify.

Is anyone able to identify its origin?

As I am new to this whole affair, I would be grateful for resources That would help me indentify artifacts and estimate their value.

Best regards,

Welcome!
First thing that came to mind is a Cutlass form.
Looks like some African influence on the scabbard.


As regards appraisal of your sword; it should be done by contacting
a member via our private message board.
We discuss the object; never its value.

Welcome!

The leatherwork on the scabbard has a clear Mandinka style, and European-inspired guards like this one aren't too uncommon. A Mandinka origin is likely but not sure, and geographically that can mean anywhere from the Gambia to Sierra Leone and then to Ségou.

Agreed!

Thanks for your input

I am aware that prices are not to be discussed on this forum and that they depend on the buyer and seller. I simply wanted to know if I would need to scour auctions to learn to estimate prices of if there is an alternative that does not require years of skin in the game.

I did not think about this since the Mandinka sabers I saw before had typically no guard, with sometimes a disk one, and often with scabbard that flares out towards the tip. Though I do see the resemblance now, in fact a similar one is presented by kronckew in this thread, though I would be more satisfied if I could find a scabbard with the same pattern.

Though I am still curious about the marking on the blade and filework on its spine, since the Mandinkas I've seen either have a plain blade or fullers. That and the wrapping of the guard in leather which makes me think of an aversion to touching iron.