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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,086
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Derek,
As requested, here are additional pictures of the sword. The hilt is rhino horn and the saber style blade is English made. Henry Wilkinson, cutlers to his majesty, King Edward VII. I believe this dates the blade to circa 1901-1910. The etching is the nicest I have ever seen on one of these examples. It is much more crisp than the German blade examples that I have seen and both are superior to locally etched blades. I am curious now what the translation will reveal. Perhaps it will be similar to your example and exalt the Wilkinson Company! |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 215
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Hi Rick,
I asked Roano to look at it and this is what he said: "First: the sword is a Wilkinson blade with the same writing that appears in the little catalogue pattern 120. The pattern may not be the same but the writing is. It means: MUHAMMED ALI QUBAGNA (Qubagna means Company). It is simply the name of the importer in Abyssinia. I believe he was active in Harrar. The longer script on the other side is the usual Henry Wilkinson maker of swords for King Edward (or George) Pall Mall London." Interesting bit about the importer, but I told you it might be a bit mundane. Gorgeous sword all the same. -d |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,086
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Derek
Thanks for the information. Interestingly, on the spine, it is marked "Mohamed Ally & Co". Also, the hilt is a single piece of rhino horn versus the three pieces one often sees. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 215
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BTW,
It should be pattern 222 in the 1906 Wilkinson catalog. pic below: |
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#5 | |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,818
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One from the depths. Whilst researching a sword recently sold bearing the same marks along the spine I found this; http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00093439/00252 I have not yet dug anything further on Mohamed Ally & Co but I suspect if they built a building they were big players in the region. A little time has transpired between posting and the spelling edit... Mohamedally & Co where the primary and major trading company in Ethiopia with origins in India, I have a few details on the subject in a recent sold listing of a similar type with a narrower blade. Gav Last edited by freebooter; 5th August 2012 at 12:16 PM. |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The Sharp end
Posts: 2,928
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Hi Rick,
Have you tried asking Robert Wilkinson-Latham? He might have access to the original records/orders etc? ATB Gene |
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#7 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 10,191
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Edward VII only reigned from January to December 1936. The company was B.M.Mohammedally & Co. of Addis Ababa, who had offices also in Harrar.
They were heavily involved in ivory trade early in the century and in many of the intrigues which transpired toward the Italian invasion in 1935-36. Wilkinson undoubtedly supplied blades to this importer/exporter just as they had been supplying blades to Haile Selassie in many years prior (as seen in the catalogs noted). |
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#8 | |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 2,786
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Stu |
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