Moroccan Koummya

Aurangzeb · 26th December 2006, 04:36 AM

Hello All!

I got this nice Moroccan Koummya for Christmas! I think it might be late 19th or early 20th century. The engraving is very well done along with a well forged blade. Definatley not at tourist knife!

I tied the baldaric, it did not come with it. The handle is made of hardwood of some sort. Can anyone identify what regieon this knife is from? Could it be from the Western Sahara or do knives from that regieon look diffrent? HELP!

Mark...

Aurangzeb · 27th December 2006, 03:29 AM

No Comments!

Tim Simmons · 27th December 2006, 12:03 PM

Nice. All the years I have been collecting I have yet to get a half decent one of these.

Jim McDougall · 27th December 2006, 05:25 PM

Hi Aurangzeb,
Nice Christmas present!!!!

While I think this koummya appears of 20th century, and may well be toward the first half, it is a handsome dagger and good representative example. The koummya is typically considered the Moroccan variant of various daggers, especially the janbiyya (note the bulb on the tip of the sheath, known as the thum if I recall,and the curvature as seen on Arabian examples).
While these are most often associated with the Moroccan littoral, they were certainly used throughout most of the Maghreb. While away from my references at the moment, there is good material on these via search.

I think one of the most interesting features on these is the pommel, and there have been yet unsubstantiated suggestions that the shape is associated with the Italian cinqueda, which of course would have come to the North Africa littoral via Venetian traders.

Like most edged weapons in these regions, these are still important elements of tribal costume, and remain quite servicable, as you have noted in your desciption of this piece. While these are typically considered weapons from littoral regions, they of course may have diffused into the Sahara via tribal interaction and trade, but most likely in Morroccan areas.

All the best,
Jim

Aart · 24th September 2007, 08:50 PM

I have this Maroccan Koummya dagger. The blade is about 2 mm thick; can anybody tell me if this is an original item or it's made for tourists.
Is the white metal silver or something else ?

Thanks

Lee · 25th September 2007, 10:18 AM

Aart's dagger is pictured below. I have a similar example which appears to be brass with some German silver overlay...

I guess a question for the forum that we share is whether such a dagger is strictly tourist bazaar from a few decades back or whether it is a less affluent working man's version of the silver mounted ones?

ward · 25th September 2007, 02:26 PM

90% of these that I have seen are 20th-21st century. There are piles of these is every souq in Morocco. They are made out of good silver,german silver,brass, camel bone etc. All different quality. The ones in the souq are all sold to the tourist trade, none of the local population actually wear these. The Koummyas with sterling silver are usually from the tiznit area or the the anti atlas region.

26th December 2006, 04:36 AM	#1
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Moroccan Koummya Hello All! I got this nice Moroccan Koummya for Christmas! I think it might be late 19th or early 20th century. The engraving is very well done along with a well forged blade. Definatley not at tourist knife! I tied the baldaric, it did not come with it. The handle is made of hardwood of some sort. Can anyone identify what regieon this knife is from? Could it be from the Western Sahara or do knives from that regieon look diffrent? HELP! Mark... Attached Images

24th September 2007, 08:50 PM	#5
Aart Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1	Maroccan Koummya dagger I have this Maroccan Koummya dagger. The blade is about 2 mm thick; can anybody tell me if this is an original item or it's made for tourists. Is the white metal silver or something else ? Thanks

25th September 2007, 10:18 AM	#6
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	Aart's dagger: Aart's dagger is pictured below. I have a similar example which appears to be brass with some German silver overlay... I guess a question for the forum that we share is whether such a dagger is strictly tourist bazaar from a few decades back or whether it is a less affluent working man's version of the silver mounted ones? Attached Images Last edited by Lee; 25th September 2007 at 10:26 AM. Reason: add text

27th December 2006, 03:29 AM	#2
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	No Comments!

27th December 2006, 12:03 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Nice. All the years I have been collecting I have yet to get a half decent one of these.

27th December 2006, 05:25 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	Hi Aurangzeb, Nice Christmas present!!!! While I think this koummya appears of 20th century, and may well be toward the first half, it is a handsome dagger and good representative example. The koummya is typically considered the Moroccan variant of various daggers, especially the janbiyya (note the bulb on the tip of the sheath, known as the thum if I recall,and the curvature as seen on Arabian examples). While these are most often associated with the Moroccan littoral, they were certainly used throughout most of the Maghreb. While away from my references at the moment, there is good material on these via search. I think one of the most interesting features on these is the pommel, and there have been yet unsubstantiated suggestions that the shape is associated with the Italian cinqueda, which of course would have come to the North Africa littoral via Venetian traders. Like most edged weapons in these regions, these are still important elements of tribal costume, and remain quite servicable, as you have noted in your desciption of this piece. While these are typically considered weapons from littoral regions, they of course may have diffused into the Sahara via tribal interaction and trade, but most likely in Morroccan areas. All the best, Jim

25th September 2007, 02:26 PM	#7
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	90% of these that I have seen are 20th-21st century. There are piles of these is every souq in Morocco. They are made out of good silver,german silver,brass, camel bone etc. All different quality. The ones in the souq are all sold to the tourist trade, none of the local population actually wear these. The Koummyas with sterling silver are usually from the tiznit area or the the anti atlas region.