Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 10th July 2024, 01:09 PM

Thank you for that note Teodor, I recall seeing that most interesting nimcha here on the pages years ago. It was fascinating to me mostly from that remarkable blade which I found associated with the Armenian importer Kevorkian in Harar, Ethiopia.
The simplicity and style of the hilt with the 'D guard' which has become known colloquially in collectors parlance as 'Zanzibar' I totally agree is likely Yemeni, as likely my own example previously posted in this thread.

Here I would note that a great many swords, and blades went from Ethiopia into Yemen primarily to obtain the rhino horn from the hilts. This of course offered a supply of blades, many of which were mounted in San'aa in various hilt forms, and resulting in the presence often of Ge'ez script from Amharic inscriptions on many Arab swords.

The first reference to these ring guard hilts as Zanzibari was in "Les Armes Blanches du Monde Islamique" , Alain Jacob, 1985. When I acquired my example years ago from Oriental Arms, Artzi explained to me that it was one of about 40 he got from an old armory in Yemen, and that these swords had come from Zanzibar. I have forgotten how long ago he noted this acquisition happened but I presume it may have been in the 80s.

It was interesting in researching these, one of the key references commonly used was Charles Buttin's 1933 catalogue, where these types were included with a large grouping of examples of the North African types, and all are listed only as Arab sa'if. There is no specific classification to Zanzibar, Morocco, Algeria or other....and as asserted by Dominique Buttin (pers. cov. 2004)...these are all simply Arab sa'if.

I agree that the Algerian attributions are likely correct, and the association with the Kabyle type wood scabbard is compelling evidence. Here I would note that George C. Stone in his venerable compendium (1934) referred to the 'nimcha' as Algerian. It has been suggested that the diffusion of the form into Morocco was probably via the Sunni following of the Maliki School of Islam.

The preferences of local artisans for materials used in mounting of the various numbers of blades circulating through mostly trade networks seems of course inconsistent and probably relied on many factors. It does not seem there is any viable axiom to classify these 'nimcha' forms to region or period other than sound provenance or notable propensity of type to area.
That factored in with the long circulation of blades which often ended up in trade circumstances many times over, as well as the fact that these swords were often important as gifts or awards further accounts for diffusion.
"
As always, I like to keep things brief

, " the history of the nimchas" soon to be a thrilling movie! uh huh.

10th July 2024, 01:09 PM	#12
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,100	Thank you for that note Teodor, I recall seeing that most interesting nimcha here on the pages years ago. It was fascinating to me mostly from that remarkable blade which I found associated with the Armenian importer Kevorkian in Harar, Ethiopia. The simplicity and style of the hilt with the 'D guard' which has become known colloquially in collectors parlance as 'Zanzibar' I totally agree is likely Yemeni, as likely my own example previously posted in this thread. Here I would note that a great many swords, and blades went from Ethiopia into Yemen primarily to obtain the rhino horn from the hilts. This of course offered a supply of blades, many of which were mounted in San'aa in various hilt forms, and resulting in the presence often of Ge'ez script from Amharic inscriptions on many Arab swords. The first reference to these ring guard hilts as Zanzibari was in "Les Armes Blanches du Monde Islamique" , Alain Jacob, 1985. When I acquired my example years ago from Oriental Arms, Artzi explained to me that it was one of about 40 he got from an old armory in Yemen, and that these swords had come from Zanzibar. I have forgotten how long ago he noted this acquisition happened but I presume it may have been in the 80s. It was interesting in researching these, one of the key references commonly used was Charles Buttin's 1933 catalogue, where these types were included with a large grouping of examples of the North African types, and all are listed only as Arab sa'if. There is no specific classification to Zanzibar, Morocco, Algeria or other....and as asserted by Dominique Buttin (pers. cov. 2004)...these are all simply Arab sa'if. I agree that the Algerian attributions are likely correct, and the association with the Kabyle type wood scabbard is compelling evidence. Here I would note that George C. Stone in his venerable compendium (1934) referred to the 'nimcha' as Algerian. It has been suggested that the diffusion of the form into Morocco was probably via the Sunni following of the Maliki School of Islam. The preferences of local artisans for materials used in mounting of the various numbers of blades circulating through mostly trade networks seems of course inconsistent and probably relied on many factors. It does not seem there is any viable axiom to classify these 'nimcha' forms to region or period other than sound provenance or notable propensity of type to area. That factored in with the long circulation of blades which often ended up in trade circumstances many times over, as well as the fact that these swords were often important as gifts or awards further accounts for diffusion. " As always, I like to keep things brief , " the history of the nimchas" soon to be a thrilling movie! uh huh.