Markings on a Takouba-mounted European Backsword

[colin henshaw]

Those extensive and quite regular indentations to the blade on both sides seem very odd...

I kind of doubt if they were caused only by rust.

[blue lander]

If it's from rust I wonder if the pattern is due to the way the blade was forged? Or did somebody beat on the blade? You'd think that level of abuse would have snapped the blade.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by blue lander

If it's from rust I wonder if the pattern is due to the way the blade was forged? Or did somebody beat on the blade? You'd think that level of abuse would have snapped the blade.

A combination I think. I have seen other takouba blades with abuse to the edge that looks more than just coincidental...

[blue lander]

When you say "exported", do you mean that they were made for export, or that they were used in Europe and then exported after their were no longer useful? If they were made for export it seems odd to put "Zacona Toscania" on the blade as nobody would be able to read it wherever it ended up. A symbol like a moon or lion or whatever would make it more identifiable I'd think.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by blue lander

When you say "exported", do you mean that they were made for export, or that they were used in Europe and then exported after their were no longer useful? If they were made for export it seems odd to put "Zacona Toscania" on the blade as nobody would be able to read it wherever it ended up. A symbol like a moon or lion or whatever would make it more identifiable I'd think.

By exported I mean they were made in Europe, some were mounted in Europe, some were exported as bare blades.

As an example one of the swords I posted above next to a schiavonesca. The blades are marked the same, the form is the same, one spent its life in Europe, the other blade quite a ways away.

With a little time this summer I'll hopefully finish a longish article on this topic. There are interesting records in terms of shipments from Italy to Ottoman and Mamluk areas including blades and you find European blades being mounted in Mamluk mounts as well.

Note: for clarity the schiavonesca and the mamluk sword in the comparison images are not mine, but sourced from past auctions and used here simply to illustrate elements of the takouba form.

In terms of your blade and the examples I have given we are looking at earlier blades than the stereotypical patterns of the 18th and 19th century marked with elements like the ubiquitous half moons, made specifically for export long after those styles had past their popularity in Europe.

[Iain]

Did you get the sword yet blue lander? Interested to seem more pictures.

[blue lander]

I emailed the guy on sunday, he said he was going to send it out on Tuesday (yesterday). I paid him awhile ago, hopefully he isn't pulling shenanigans...