Quote:
Originally Posted by Oliver Pinchot
The unusual engraved mark on the kaskara blade pictured is a simplification of the Ottoman tughra. When oriented properly it is quite clear.
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Resoundingly observed Oliver!!
It is amazing this has not been notably considered, and not surprising that you would recognize this instantly, so thank you so much for this entry!
This would align with the religious and geo-political circumstances from Libya into Egypt and Sudan in the years just prior to WWI, German and Ottoman intrigue courting the Sanusiyya. This was a conservative Sufi brotherhood of Sunni Islam as I have understood, and there were close alignments with the Ottomans.
The tughra is of course in itself a stylized type of device honorarily assigned to prominent individuals.
It seems that in tribal symbolism, the markings applied to blades have varied significance which apply to power, magic, talismanic imbuement etc.
These 'enigma' marks seem to be likely noting the importance of tughra marks seen on Ottoman items.
Briggs(1965) notes that these 'enigma' marks on blades occurred on the blades of important Tuareg chiefs in Air during the Kaocen Revolt but had been seen in these regions earlier. Ottoman influences and the Senussi brotherhood seem likely inspirations for these stylized representations of tughra. Versions of these are likely to have diffused to the kaskara in Darfur in degree via the Senussi conduit in those pre WWI years.
Thanks again Oliver for this compelling observation, and hope my explanation in accord might be plausible support.