VERY Unusual Marks on a Kaskara

Jim McDougall · 25th November 2010, 05:50 PM

Excellent observations , thank you so much Iain!!! I hadnt thought of Ethiopia as I had already assumed that the six point star was most likely associated there if at all with the notes on the trade blades from Wilkinson. As I mentioned, these symbols were diffused widely as were many of the blades, so your knowledge on Saharan weapons is emphatically viable regardless which weapon we are looking at.
I really appreciate you adding these comments, and especially for pointing out the Ethiopian use of the star, which seems an even more logical possibility. I agree very much with your notes on talismanic application as well.

All the very best,
Jim

Iain · 28th November 2010, 12:11 PM

To follow up on this, the sword Steven posted, any idea if the blade is European? It doesn't show the usual signs to me. I usually associated better defined fullers (broad, long etc) with European trade blades.

The pentagram is also used in Hinduism from what I've read. Sign against evil that sort of thing and hung outside homes. I know it's not directly related but given the volume of trade across the Indian ocean, I thought it was worth mentioning.

I'm still leaning towards a seal of Solomon interpretation. The double application of markings seems a pretty common thing with natively applied marks across the Sahel.

Maybe Ed can provide some insight into why various marks are often applied in pairs? I've never heard a definitive answer and it's something that applies to kaskara and other Sahel arms.

EDIT: I'm attaching another star I found on a Sahel weapon, the state sword of Gajere. Clearly Islamic in context and applied at the same time as the rest of the script and floral work.

stephen wood · 28th November 2010, 08:10 PM

...is that from Nigerian Panoply? Very interesting - always thought that Gajere was Ottoman (although European originally).

I am certain that the blade I posted is not only European but older than we are accustomed to see mounted as a Kaskara. My criteria for judging imported/native blade often shift: Ignaz Pallme (1837) remarks that European blades imported are "badly rounded off". While the quality of the steel may be better, I am by now quite used to seeing wonky fullers on imported blades (and vice-versa). I expect to find more rust on a native blades - especially when kept in their scabbards. This, I should add, is down to observation.

In the case of Takouba many blades are very clearly native-made - indeed there is, I believe, a scale of quality of Takouba blades, at the bottom of which are found local ones. Such a particular scale was also found among the Tigre.

Iain · 28th November 2010, 08:45 PM

Hi Stephen,

Yes, from Panoply. I'm also not sure of the source of the blade. I doubt it's locally made and the floral decoration doesn't look all that common to the area, probably from the Maghreb instead.

Thanks for your thoughts on Euro blades, very helpful for me.

It's maybe a bit different situation with takouba - or just my point of view. Generally speaking the triple fullered blades with double half moons aren't European at least in my limited observations (Briggs seems to agree although notes the possibility of locally applied markings on import blades). Perhaps I should say usually as you can never rule out the odd possibility but I tend to think these are just nice native blades, not imported blades with applied marks. The obviously applied marks on imports I've seen are etched or scratched. Not stamped. There's a lot of nice European blades but an equal number of very nicely mounted native blades. I don't see spending that much time on good fittings for blades that were considered inferior. The older ones have good flex and good edge retention from what I can tell. So I don't believe the native blades always ended at the bottom of the scale. Of course that goes for takouba, but from the bit I know about kaskara I think it's generally the same?

Potentially important, I have seen good quality native blades turning up more frequently in the southern style brass hilts. Could be that high quality local production was absorbed closer to the source?

I'd agree on the steel quality, I see much more rust on native blades. I believe the iron composition is the contributing factor. Native blades are usually of Hausa manufacture (or Nupe potentially). Several Hausa cities had massive blacksmithing centers. A separate caste handled smelting and there was enough local ore production that I believe native blades would have been manufactured from native ore rather than imported ingots or bars. Beyond that one group of hereditarily trained smiths handled iron related smithing further sub grouped in large cities into bladesmiths. A second group handled 'white' metals such as brass, copper and silver. These are the Makèeran bakii and Malièeran farii respectively. The Tuareg were noted for having especially good relations with the smith castes among the Hausa (surprise, surprise

).

I'm not enough of a metallurgy expert to try and explain the details but I would guess the exact composition of the local ore is the reason behind the rusting differences and maybe less carbon? I don't feel like sacrificing any of mine for more detailed tests!

EDIT: The eyelash markings are indicated as potentially pointing to Spanish origin by Briggs. Time to look into pentagrams in Spain I think! Wild thought, could this be a blade made in an Islamic area of Spain, or a bit later in Morocco?

stephen wood · 3rd December 2010, 12:30 AM

Another interesting thing about this sword is that there are watered patterns on the crossguard - very difficult to photograph but I will try.

I took it to the Arms and Armour Society meeting tonight at the Tower of London and no one had seen forging patterns like them in a kaskara crossguard before. The blade was said to be well-forged - older than what we usually see in kaskara.

thinreadline · 8th December 2010, 03:20 PM

Just to add to the use of the Star of David on edged weapons it is seen on all British military issue swords of the Victorian period which have undergone a 'proof' test .. see pic

Jim McDougall · 10th December 2010, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinreadline

Just to add to the use of the Star of David on edged weapons it is seen on all British military issue swords of the Victorian period which have undergone a 'proof' test .. see pic

Very nicely noted. I believe Wilkinson began the use of the Star of Solomon surround with the brass plug proofmark around the 1850s. Each maker or outfitter had thier own symbol or device in the brass plug, but there often seems to be some diffusion of use on some of these. It seems that is has often been suggested through the years that the star when first used may have signified Masonic associations, however even Wilkinson sources have indicated that the symbol was used as a quality mark since ancient times in the Middle East. There has been much use and application of the symbol in varying instances, leading to considerable misinterpretation in many cases.
It is important to note that in most cases, rather than a star, these are intersecting triangles.

All best regards,
Jim

28th November 2010, 12:11 PM	#2
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,708	To follow up on this, the sword Steven posted, any idea if the blade is European? It doesn't show the usual signs to me. I usually associated better defined fullers (broad, long etc) with European trade blades. The pentagram is also used in Hinduism from what I've read. Sign against evil that sort of thing and hung outside homes. I know it's not directly related but given the volume of trade across the Indian ocean, I thought it was worth mentioning. I'm still leaning towards a seal of Solomon interpretation. The double application of markings seems a pretty common thing with natively applied marks across the Sahel. Maybe Ed can provide some insight into why various marks are often applied in pairs? I've never heard a definitive answer and it's something that applies to kaskara and other Sahel arms. EDIT: I'm attaching another star I found on a Sahel weapon, the state sword of Gajere. Clearly Islamic in context and applied at the same time as the rest of the script and floral work. Attached Images Last edited by Iain; 28th November 2010 at 12:50 PM.

28th November 2010, 08:45 PM	#4
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,708	Hi Stephen, Yes, from Panoply. I'm also not sure of the source of the blade. I doubt it's locally made and the floral decoration doesn't look all that common to the area, probably from the Maghreb instead. Thanks for your thoughts on Euro blades, very helpful for me. It's maybe a bit different situation with takouba - or just my point of view. Generally speaking the triple fullered blades with double half moons aren't European at least in my limited observations (Briggs seems to agree although notes the possibility of locally applied markings on import blades). Perhaps I should say usually as you can never rule out the odd possibility but I tend to think these are just nice native blades, not imported blades with applied marks. The obviously applied marks on imports I've seen are etched or scratched. Not stamped. There's a lot of nice European blades but an equal number of very nicely mounted native blades. I don't see spending that much time on good fittings for blades that were considered inferior. The older ones have good flex and good edge retention from what I can tell. So I don't believe the native blades always ended at the bottom of the scale. Of course that goes for takouba, but from the bit I know about kaskara I think it's generally the same? Potentially important, I have seen good quality native blades turning up more frequently in the southern style brass hilts. Could be that high quality local production was absorbed closer to the source? I'd agree on the steel quality, I see much more rust on native blades. I believe the iron composition is the contributing factor. Native blades are usually of Hausa manufacture (or Nupe potentially). Several Hausa cities had massive blacksmithing centers. A separate caste handled smelting and there was enough local ore production that I believe native blades would have been manufactured from native ore rather than imported ingots or bars. Beyond that one group of hereditarily trained smiths handled iron related smithing further sub grouped in large cities into bladesmiths. A second group handled 'white' metals such as brass, copper and silver. These are the Makèeran bakii and Malièeran farii respectively. The Tuareg were noted for having especially good relations with the smith castes among the Hausa (surprise, surprise ). I'm not enough of a metallurgy expert to try and explain the details but I would guess the exact composition of the local ore is the reason behind the rusting differences and maybe less carbon? I don't feel like sacrificing any of mine for more detailed tests! EDIT: The eyelash markings are indicated as potentially pointing to Spanish origin by Briggs. Time to look into pentagrams in Spain I think! Wild thought, could this be a blade made in an Islamic area of Spain, or a bit later in Morocco? Last edited by Iain; 28th November 2010 at 09:15 PM.

3rd December 2010, 12:30 AM	#5
stephen wood Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 227	Another interesting thing about this sword is that there are watered patterns on the crossguard - very difficult to photograph but I will try. I took it to the Arms and Armour Society meeting tonight at the Tower of London and no one had seen forging patterns like them in a kaskara crossguard before. The blade was said to be well-forged - older than what we usually see in kaskara. Last edited by stephen wood; 3rd December 2010 at 01:18 AM.

8th December 2010, 03:20 PM	#6
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	Just to add to the use of the Star of David on edged weapons it is seen on all British military issue swords of the Victorian period which have undergone a 'proof' test .. see pic Attached Images

25th November 2010, 05:50 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Excellent observations , thank you so much Iain!!! I hadnt thought of Ethiopia as I had already assumed that the six point star was most likely associated there if at all with the notes on the trade blades from Wilkinson. As I mentioned, these symbols were diffused widely as were many of the blades, so your knowledge on Saharan weapons is emphatically viable regardless which weapon we are looking at. I really appreciate you adding these comments, and especially for pointing out the Ethiopian use of the star, which seems an even more logical possibility. I agree very much with your notes on talismanic application as well. All the very best, Jim

28th November 2010, 08:10 PM	#3
stephen wood Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 227	...is that from Nigerian Panoply? Very interesting - always thought that Gajere was Ottoman (although European originally). I am certain that the blade I posted is not only European but older than we are accustomed to see mounted as a Kaskara. My criteria for judging imported/native blade often shift: Ignaz Pallme (1837) remarks that European blades imported are "badly rounded off". While the quality of the steel may be better, I am by now quite used to seeing wonky fullers on imported blades (and vice-versa). I expect to find more rust on a native blades - especially when kept in their scabbards. This, I should add, is down to observation. In the case of Takouba many blades are very clearly native-made - indeed there is, I believe, a scale of quality of Takouba blades, at the bottom of which are found local ones. Such a particular scale was also found among the Tigre.