Help Identifying Middle Eastern Dagger

shayde78 · 14th August 2018, 04:12 AM

Welcome, Christine.

You may learn more about koummya here

If you look at the blade on your piece, you will note that it is not too refined. The patterns on your hilt are likely just decorative. As a knife of an Islamic culture, decorations tend to be abstract (as representations of living forms was typically forbidden).

As for ritualistic use, the koummya represents the standard everyday carry knife of Moroccan men. It would have been readily available to defend its wearer, but most likely used to slaughter livestock, and the like. As certain holidays required the head of the household to slaughter the meal, it would have some ancillary ceremonial function.

All in all, yours seems to be a not very old item, made likely for travelers to take home, not for use by the locals. That said, it is a unique souvenir that represents a specific culture. If you enjoy it, that counts for a lot

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14th August 2018, 04:12 AM	#6
shayde78 Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 445	Welcome, Christine. You may learn more about koummya here If you look at the blade on your piece, you will note that it is not too refined. The patterns on your hilt are likely just decorative. As a knife of an Islamic culture, decorations tend to be abstract (as representations of living forms was typically forbidden). As for ritualistic use, the koummya represents the standard everyday carry knife of Moroccan men. It would have been readily available to defend its wearer, but most likely used to slaughter livestock, and the like. As certain holidays required the head of the household to slaughter the meal, it would have some ancillary ceremonial function. All in all, yours seems to be a not very old item, made likely for travelers to take home, not for use by the locals. That said, it is a unique souvenir that represents a specific culture. If you enjoy it, that counts for a lot