African Sword for ID and comment

[Jim McDougall]

Brian, you've done it again! Outstanding example of a distinct and indiginous sword of the Northern Sudan, which is typically associated with Dunqulah (Dongola) on the banks of the Nile. I have seen these in context of well provenanced arms of the Mahdist period and the Caliphate, as well as so indicated in other references. It seems the pierced decoration of the crocodile and other motif is characteristic.

These regions in ancient times were Nubia, and in later times actually became part of Egypt under Muhammed Ali Pasha in 1820 after his invasion of Sudan. It is generally held that the Mahdi himself actually was from these regions. During the Sudan campaigns Kitchener won a victory at Dongola prior to Omdurman in 1898. This may explain the presence of these among the kaskaras and various other arms captured in these campaigns.

It is most interesting that the rather unique pommel cap seems to appear on the weapons described in von Zonnefeld.While this would suggest a somewhat dramatic misidentification, I think it is important to remember that the host weapons which influenced these ethnographic forms often were carried through varying entrepots traversing vast segments of the trade routes. Therefore it is not too surprising to see unusual convergent similarities in remarkably distant cultural spheres.

The crocodile is key in totemic and symbolic character in Nilotic culture but most typically is seen in the hide being used on hilt grips and scabbards. It seems this pierced version is unique in its being a depiction rather than anatomical elements used. The familiar flared scabbard end of the kaskara mounts have long been thought to represent the crocodile head, but reception to that perception is not necessarily entirely accepted.

Nicely done Brian,
All the best,
Jim

Gene, excellent links to those earlier threads, and its great to see these archived resources used so perfectly, thank you! Looks like Lew pretty well nailed this ID in one of those threads!