Chris and Iain, thank you so much for these straightforward observations and for the great explanations along with them. It is great to engage in these kinds of discussions where we exchange views and ideas regardless of polarity, as it is a total learning experience.
I must say that after reviewing earlier posts, notes and rereading through Briggs I am compelled to agree that these two kaskara may very well be much earlier in the 20th century. It seems likely the clearly more recently refurbished example is of the same blade type as the heavily aged one, the elliptical one third blade length channel from blade root is similar on both though I dont believe exact.
What steers me away from European origin for these blades is the lack of forte block. In looking at some other examples of blades which were apparantly of Solingen origin and intended for export such as those by Clauberg and Peres, these typical had such ricasso blocks and were marked. There were likely however blades unmarked, but I believe would have been configured similarly.
I am glad the patinated blade is shown with tang exposed, and this blade has the same aperture and shape as the Peres type blades. What is puzzling of course is that there is no block ricasso, so it seems we may presume native make for these. The same type fuller appears on the unusually hilted swords apparantly from Tunisian Berber regions.
I think we may look toward blades entering North Africa post Khalifa and during the Condominium. While it seems doubtful that any weapons producing in occupied Sudan of course was unlikely, however Darfur and these regions remained loosely outside British control with Ali Dinar emplaced as the sultan and the region essentially autonomous.These regions were very much as a frontier and more associated with Saharan and Berber tribal activity than with the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan as I have understood. There were even Tuareg factions as far as El Fasher, and it would seem contact through Tunisian regions Berbers might well have brought blades in .
In those Tunisian regions the Senussi Brotherhood was quite prevalent, a Sufi following to which Ali Dinar also belonged. The Senussi were in the years toward WWI apparantly aligning with Ottomans and the Germans in the developing Great War. This development was key in the final situation for Ali Dinar who was declared outlaw by the British and killed by them in 1916.
It would seem that in this period, blades may well have been coming in through Tunis and through Berber and Senussi headed Darfur and adjacent regions. It would seem that native bladesmiths may have duplicated blades and possibly adapted interpretations of German markings.
It seems these might be from this period to the years following, and probably produced in remote regions outside the controlled regions in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. I am not sure how much we should rely on the crossguards on the refurbished examples as these were so often refurbished, and often parts may have been interchanged. The obviously intact well aged example though may give a good view of early guards. In Ed Hunleys work, he notes that guards were fabricated in four pieces pre-1940 when the single piece forged guards were developed.
The 'comet' mark seems to be copied almost perfectly on the rehilted blade from that on the aged and worn one (note even the two 'jots' in the orb).
In Briggs (p.81) he notes that Nickel had suggested this may have been some stylized image of the 'flaming grenade' from the 'doll' figure of Peter Mumm and used by Weyersbergs in the 19th century. I can see the similarity to the fly image from the doll and the Milanese mark, but cannot see even a Picasso like potential with these 'comet' figures.
The only comet used by German makers was that of the Schimmelberg group mid 19th c and later which has a star type symbol with crescent like 'tail' and 6 other stars......this does not have the separated tail which is implied by these geometric devices.
It should be noted that these geometric devices were found on the blades of Tuareg chiefs from the Tuareg rebellion in 1916-17 and had apparantly been in use for some time. As noted the Tuareg factions did have contact with Darfur as well as into the regions into Libya and Tunisia as previously mentioned, and perhaps this symbol cross diffused into 'kaskara' parlance via that venue.
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