Ethiopian 19th century Gurade

[Cerjak]

I just received thisEthiopian 19th century Gurade .
Is mounted with a cavalry-sized heavy European blade The hilt is formed out of two pieces of rhinoceros horn .
The rhino horn is very valuable .
I am told that there is people who are buying such sword only for the hilt. They are not collectors but they only want to make money with the rhino horn grip .
The old rhino horn is sold as an aphrodisiac ( market price in china rhino horn powder is more than 60.000 us $ /kg so many old swords will disappear from the collector market !
So after the rhinoceros who are the first victim from this crazy market ,ethnographic weapons should be the next one !

[roanoa]

Mon ami. I agree with everything you say. Yes, it is a shame. However, let's not advertise the value of the horn or we risk to play into the "enemy's" hand. Cheers, RON

[Battara]

I love the silver filigree work!

[Sajen]

Very nice sword, congrats Cerjak! A shame that some parts of the handle are missing. All true what you writing, I've heard that rhino horn hunters contact dealers for ethnograhic items and ask for rhino horn and willing to pay very high prices. Hopefully they are collectors as well and don't sell to them.

Regards,
Detlef

[Martin Lubojacky]

Rhino horn "hunters" directly contacted Ethiopian antique and ethnografic dealers in Addis Abeba at the beginning/mid of 90 ies. That time you could see Ethiopian dealers selling such handles separately - and blades separately, too. The buyers were often from Yemen. I consider this irreversible and very big detriment perpetrated on Etjhiopian antiquities.
Regads,
Martin

[ariel]

Why do they need rhino horn when Viagra is available, cheaper and incomparably more effective?

The revenge of the rhinos: swallow several thousands $$ worth on congealed hair and still point south:-)

Serves the bastards right!

[roanoa]

It's a SAD story. A while back I spotted two gorade with blades of a pattern that I do not have in my collection. GREAT swords. I was too late in contacting the dealer. The swords had already left for China. My request about the possibility of buying back JUST THE BLADES fell on deaf ears. It was obvious that the swords were sold at a very high price only because of the handles, which were, OF COURSE, made out of rhino horns. So, what is happening is that the GOOD QUALITY swords will continue to be butchered and lost to the collectors' world. Or come back as those horrible trinkets/tourist souvenirs abortions from Yemen. And YES, we all know that the powdered horn will NOT work.............

[BANDOOK]

YES AND SO WILL THE YEMENI JAMBAYAS AND KHANJARS FROM OMAN WHICH HAVE RHINO HILT WILL ALSO DISSAPEAR COZ OF THESE GUYS

[Rick]

That is a damned expensive placebo .

[roanoa]

One of the sad parts of this absurd saga is that now MUSEUMS are being targeted by thieves who break in and steal the stuffed heads of rhinos!!!!!! Or chop the horns off the full size mounts. Next will be the zoo.

[Rick]

What kind of money does this stuff bring ?

[VANDOO]

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I WAS IN DJBOUTI SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND SAW 100 OR MORE OF THESE SWORDS ALL WITH REPLACED HANDLES MADE OF SEVERAL PIECES OF HORN OR WOOD. THE REPLACEMENTS WERE OLD AND SHOWED GOOD PATINA AND WEAR AND SOME HAD THE BETTER IMPORTED BLADES THAT NO DOUBT HAD RHINO HILTS AT SOME TIME. THE SILVER POMMELS WERE MISSING TOO. I SUSPECT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE NATIVE MADE SWORDS NEVER HAD RHINO HILTS OR SILVER POMMEL CAPS BUT MOST THAT DID LOST THEM LONG AGO. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BUY THE REMAINING SWORDS AND DESTROY THEM TODAY.
MOST LIKELY THE LEGENDS OF THE UNICORN GO BACK TO PREHISTORIC TIMES IT IS UNFORTUNATE THEY PERSIST TODAY AND ENDANGER THE SURVIVAL OF A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING ANIMAL. NO DOUBT A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF RHINO HORN MIXED IN WITH THE GROUND DUST OF ALMOST ANYTHING SERVES AS THE MEDICINE SOLD TO ALL BUT THE RICHEST CUSTOMERS. IT IS A VERY LONG RUNNING CON AND THOUGH NOT AS DESTRUCTIVE TO PEOPLE AS DRUGS IT DESTROYS RHINOS AND ARTEFACTS INDESCRINIMATELY.

[Dimasalang]

I recently watched a documentary on rhino poaching and where these horns were ending up. They are mostly going to Asia, many Asians believe it does sever as a super medicine. Oddly enough they mentioned many of the horns ended up in Vietnam, as many Vietnamese and Chinese living there believe in its powers more than in other areas. While Vietnam is a poor country, the rich and powerful elite were the ones buying it. Many believe it restored their vitality; so to these old folks they swear by it as being the fountain of youth. One individual who resided in Vietnam showed he was dying of cancer, but the rhino horn reduced the cancer to the point he now goes about his daily life with no issues. He showed his stash, and it was only a small chunk, about the size of a small medicine bottle, which he says he paid about US$5000 for it. He also showed how they prepared it, only scraping off little shreds and putting it in tea to drink, the strength they say lasted several days. So a small amount will last a very long time.

Just to add, South-East Asia do still have Rhinos. In Vietnam they are completely wiped out and extinct. They are different compared to the African rhino in that they only have one horn which is also very short and stubby. So it is not like the rhino was a completely foreign animal to Asians.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Rick

What kind of money does this stuff bring ?

in 2013: pprox. prices to nearest dollar

rhino horn:..USD 2800 per gram
gold:...........USD 53 per gram

it has fallen a bit since.

[spiral]

[IMG]

Originally Posted by kronckew

in 2013: pprox. prices to nearest dollar

rhino horn:..USD 2800 per gram
gold:...........USD 53 per gram

it has fallen a bit since.

According to all the undercover purchases & siezures by Rhino horn charitys , its More like $10 to £15 a gram in Europe, $50 to $60 in Vietnam & China, up to $100 a gram for Asiatic rhino, as end user price. Evry trader makes a big mark up.


If it was $2800 a gram there would be not one rhino left in the world, nor jambiya or Gurade with a rhino grip.

In China its used as a fever cure.

Some desperate people in Vietnam with cancer believe it might cure them... it doesn't.

Many newly rich in Vietnam take it along with cocaine & Viagra to party. Those types also say it helps hangovers.

Either way there better drugs for everything, Rhino does reduce fever slightly, {like asprin.}

But soon there will be no rhinos, in the last 5 years over 50 museums around the world have been robbed of rhino horns by an Irish gang called the Rathkeale rovers.

In India, rhino already have been killed in zoos. In England a plot to do the same was thwarted.

In Africa they will at current rate be extinct within a couple of decades.

If the price goes up even faster...

Gurade have been striped since at least the 1970s by Yeminis to make jambiya, the always sold the off cuts to the Chinese.

All this is well recorded.


spiral

[kronckew]

even at that price, still higher than gold (tho gold is much more useful as a real rather than as a placebo anti-cancer medicinal agent) for the end user. if they want keratin as a medicine, there are a lot handier sources. they could chew their finger nails or hair balls and get more at very little cost..

price i had was copied from a quick google, i wasn't on a quest for greater accuracy.

Medicinal gold uses

[spiral]

I totally agree, I think someone sell them ground up toenails instead!

[kronckew]

i know a chiropodist that could supply them in bulk; a few pounds of toenails should set us up for life.

i could buy the nice gold trimmed wootz kilij i've always wanted, plus a house to show it off in.

hmmm, ....now where did i put his phone number.

[spiral]

That's Good! I feel a plan coming together!

But thinking about it, those who buy it in powder form are probably buying old toenails already!

After all every stage of the trade is illegal, even in Vietnam , So I am sure the poachers,dealers,smuglers etc. have already adulterated it & what better than stinky old toenails!

[kronckew]

our market is expanding!