Kaskara with 'enigmatic' marking

Jim McDougall · Yesterday, 04:47 PM

It is always exciting to see 'kaskaras' brought in here!!! and very nice example with old blade and of course the commonly seen remounting as per the generational upkeep of these older blades. It is always hard to determine the vintage of these scabbards and grips, but the guard and pommel seem early 20th.

Getting of course to the blade, it is unusual to see the panel in Islamic script, which if I recall correctly relate to the 'Lohr' panels on devotional items in the Muslim Faith, but I am not well versed enough to elaborate.

The ENIGMA marking, as we have termed this perplexing mark which has daunted us for it seems decades trying to figure out what it meant, has I think been pretty much resolved. While Briggs seems to have thought it to be some sort of imitation of some European markings, I think Ed (Edster) was on track regarding it as a symbol used in either Sufi parlance or associated with the Senussi Brotherhood, both well placed in these regions well across North Africa.

The most remarkable observation brought which seemed so obvious but yet untendered, was by Oliver Pinchot ("On the Persian Shamshir and the Mark of Assad Allah", 2001) .......on 2/15/25, noting the 'enigma' appeared to be a stylized version of an Ottoman TUGHRA.

Considering of course the Ottoman suzerainty across the North African litttoral, this seems a most likely solution.

While the marking, as noted by Briggs, was seen on the blades of some notable Tuareg chiefs during the Kaocen Rebellion in 1916-17 against the French occupiers, it does seem the marking was known in these regions as early as 1870s (Gabus, 1958).

Yesterday, 04:47 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,770	It is always exciting to see 'kaskaras' brought in here!!! and very nice example with old blade and of course the commonly seen remounting as per the generational upkeep of these older blades. It is always hard to determine the vintage of these scabbards and grips, but the guard and pommel seem early 20th. Getting of course to the blade, it is unusual to see the panel in Islamic script, which if I recall correctly relate to the 'Lohr' panels on devotional items in the Muslim Faith, but I am not well versed enough to elaborate. The ENIGMA marking, as we have termed this perplexing mark which has daunted us for it seems decades trying to figure out what it meant, has I think been pretty much resolved. While Briggs seems to have thought it to be some sort of imitation of some European markings, I think Ed (Edster) was on track regarding it as a symbol used in either Sufi parlance or associated with the Senussi Brotherhood, both well placed in these regions well across North Africa. The most remarkable observation brought which seemed so obvious but yet untendered, was by Oliver Pinchot ("On the Persian Shamshir and the Mark of Assad Allah", 2001) .......on 2/15/25, noting the 'enigma' appeared to be a stylized version of an Ottoman TUGHRA. Considering of course the Ottoman suzerainty across the North African litttoral, this seems a most likely solution. While the marking, as noted by Briggs, was seen on the blades of some notable Tuareg chiefs during the Kaocen Rebellion in 1916-17 against the French occupiers, it does seem the marking was known in these regions as early as 1870s (Gabus, 1958). Attached Images