Earliest Use of Paired Crescent Moons on Solingen Blades

[ulfberth]

Hi Norman,

that is a very nice small sword, beautiful guard and nice blade to.
I think that the engraved crescent moons are mostly used as a symbolic or decoration on the blade, but just as interesting of course, whereas the stamps were uses as marks for identification and or quality.

Kind regards

Ulfberth

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Ulfberth,
I thought possibly this image with the paired crescents may be applicable.
My Regards,
Norman.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much Norman and Ulfberth for these great examples! as well as the well placed observations.
As noted in the title of this thread, this query is prompted by questions pertaining to the occurrence of faced crescent moons on European blades, particularly those which appear on the blade center near the terminus of fullers.

There is of course a great deal of speculative analysis on what the symbolic or in some cases, talismanic meaning of these crescent moons might have been. This undoubtedly varied in the perceptions of the many circumstances in which they were applied. While this presents fascinating opportunities for possibilities, it is the curious case of multiples in their application, as well as the configuration and position on the blade which is most intriguing.

We know that various stamped marks were placed on European blades and often in multiples as have been seen on examples seen in this thread. It seems that typically makers stamps are most often at the forte on earlier European blades. In the case of most astral themes containing crescent moons as well as stars, sun etc. these are inscribed in central areas of the blade field.

The crescent moons, in pairs, are well known in Saharan regions primarily in North Africa and found on various broadsword blades. These occur invariably at blade center near fullers. We know that large volumes of these blades came from Europe as trade products. We also know that these 'trade' blades apparently inspired native armourers to apply these marks to blades they made as well as others.

It has long been suggested that Solingen indeed produced blades for export to North Africa much as for their many client entrepots in many countries .
It seems these blades may well have been stamped with the moons in Europe in accord with much earlier blade forms also made there.

What we need to discover, and hopefully those of you who have access to resources on Solingen history might have, is some kind of specific reference to documented record of such exports to African markets. Perhaps in addition to finding just how early these moons were used on European blades, we might determine when blades to North Africa began specific export, and if these used the moons.

[ulfberth]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi Ulfberth,
I thought possibly this image with the paired crescents may be applicable.
My Regards,
Norman.

Hello Norman,
good point and indeed it is, my attention was drawn towards the big moon, however the smaller crescents seem to be an engraved version and in the same place were most stamps are on the broad sword blades.
On rapier blades the moons mostly seem to appear on the forte.

kind regards
Ulfberth

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ulfberth

Hello Norman,
good point and indeed it is, my attention was drawn towards the big moon, however the smaller crescents seem to be an engraved version and in the same place were most stamps are on the broad sword blades.
On rapier blades the moons mostly seem to appear on the forte.

kind regards
Ulfberth

Well said! and indeed Norman this significant motif is of course pertinent as while of course later period, it recognizes the use of paired moons in earlier times as they became associated with quality and other imbued occult symbolism. In these later times, groupings of various cosmological devices alluded to occult and talismanic allegories, and apparently often included the by then, venerable, paired moons as recognized embellishment.

[ulfberth]

Hi all,

I found another one, described as a 17th century schiavona.
Jim , Iain , any thoughts on the blade ?
Altough the crescent moons are not that visible in the picture, the shape of the blade and the fullers resembles the kaskara.

kind regards

Ulfberth

[Iain]

Originally Posted by ulfberth

Hi all,

I found another one, described as a 17th century schiavona.
Jim , Iain , any thoughts on the blade ?
Altough the crescent moons are not that visible in the picture, the shape of the blade and the fullers resembles tha kaskara.

kind regards

Ulfberth

Not seeing an image.

[ulfberth]

[cornelistromp]

Originally Posted by ulfberth

Hi all,

I found another one, described as a 17th century schiavona.
Jim , Iain , any thoughts on the blade ?
Altough the crescent moons are not that visible in the picture, the shape of the blade and the fullers resembles the kaskara.

kind regards

Ulfberth

No, this does not mean that there is a link with Africa/Kaskara
this type of blade with triple fullers, with the middle fuller longer and sometimes extending to the point, occurs frequently from 1500 onwards in Europe, both on German and Italian swords! often without moons.

best,
jasper

[kronckew]

form follows function.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

No, this does not mean that there is a link with Africa/Kaskara
this type of blade with triple fullers, with the middle fuller longer and sometimes extending to the point, occurs frequently from 1500 onwards in Europe, both on German and Italian swords! often without moons.

best,
jasper

Hi Jasper, agreed, however the presence of these stamped paired moons seems to be not particularly common in European mounts?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

No, this does not mean that there is a link with Africa/Kaskara
this type of blade with triple fullers, with the middle fuller longer and sometimes extending to the point, occurs frequently from 1500 onwards in Europe, both on German and Italian swords! often without moons.

best,
jasper

Actually the point has not been to draw any connection in particular to African kaskaras, but more to determine the presence of paired crescent moons with faces in European context. It seems fairly well agreed that these moons were indeed used as marking devices , even into earlier medieval times as per Oakeshott along with numerous others (I do not believe the addition of 'faces' came until later).
Apparantly the Espaderos del Rey in Spain used variations of the faced moon (Briggs, 1965; Mann, 1962, others) however they were singular and often with other devices usually. I would agree that the 16th century in the centers noted by Jasper would probably have been where these paired moons began.
It is my opinion that the use of 'multiples' such as the konigskopf (kings head) at the forte in Solingen, may have influenced or been associated with same with the moons on the swords Ulfberth posted using said configuration.

The purpose of these duplicated images is unclear, just as the use of the paired moons on the blade center near fullers remains......but however rare, it seems that Europe was the source of origin.

The unfortunate fear of incorporating 'ethnographic' medium into a discussion on European blades was the cause for unnecessary concern in the 'basket hilt' thread, and the inclusion of the kaskara instances were pertinent in recognition of the origin and period of the moons in Europe in rather a symbiotic sense. I think Briggs in his key 1965 article on the use of European blades in Tuareg edged weapons is a most dynamic illustration of that situation.