Unusual takouba

[Iain]

This one just joined me. Unusual for a few reasons.

The hilt features an additional brass loop (almost European rain guard like in form) on the guard.

The blade is an old European single edged design remounted with a locally made forte. Very thick and sturdy as is usual with these mounts. The blade was modified to be double edged.

And lastly the mounts, pommel and scabbard are all reasonably old. This sword came out of France and was likely a colonial bring back.

I'm very pleased with it, while they are a bit odd, I quite enjoy what I usually call the "sandwich" mount style and this one features more decoration than most.

The blade has an interesting array of marks as well.

[Iain]

More images.

[Iain]

Couple more images I forgot the first time around.

[David R]

How is the reinforce attached, blind riveted, soldered or welded?

[Iain]

They are usually pinned, but this one has no visible pins. Certainly not soldered. May be forge welded.

They usually employ this style of splitting a single piece of steel for the forte and inserting the blade.

[CharlesS]

Thanks for posting Iain. I never cease to be amazed where these European blades end up. There must have been quite a market for them in the day!

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent example Iain!!! and as always these blades are a challenge.
I am inclined to support possible Indian attribution to this blade, mostly to the curious arrangement of markings. The 'inscription' in the fuller appears to be some sort of approximation of the acrostic invocations and slogans often seen on early Italian blades and later the similar system of separation of letters in names etc. with dots, crosses or devices used in Germany/Toledo.
These seem to be 'A's punctuated with 'twig' marks (began in Italy 16th c., see Mann, 1962, p.255, Wallace Coll.).
The mark at blade edge resembles German adaptions of these covered by a disc latter 16th c. (op, cit. A535). ....often accompanied by the 'sickle' marks.

What is unusual are the 'twigs' between the 'A's (usually used elsewhere in marking in European context); the double use of the 'sickles' flanking the 'inscription'; and the placement of the sickle/disc near the blade edge (usually not in such location on European blades).

I would think this could very well be Indian interpretation of 'firangi' blades as used in their 'khanda' basket hilts....but of course could be German 'blank' stamped by Indian artisans. In any case, the blade likely filtered through Indian entrepots before entering Red Sea routes.

I always think these 'rainguard' type extensions on some North African swords are fascinating (I cant recall whether it occurs on kaskara)..and begs the question of direct influence of fully mounted European swords there in earlier times. It does not seem that a decorative 'langet' fits typical style for these swords in native parlance.

On the 'sandwich' extension covering upper section of blade. Was there a purpose for these? It seems to suggest bolstering of the blade but then the effect may be as with the 'langet' simply decorative?

Examples like these become perfect prompts for seeking answers to these kinds of questions, as well as continued study of blade traffic into these regions.

Thank you so much Iain for your continued and tenacious study on these, and especially for sharing them here. I hope others with similar featured examples might enter them as well.

All best regards,
Jim

[Iain]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Thanks for posting Iain. I never cease to be amazed where these European blades end up. There must have been quite a market for them in the day!

Thanks Charles, as Jim notes this one might be Indian, but for me that's not a downside, if anything it makes it more interesting as it shows an even more extended network of blade trading.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Excellent example Iain!!! and as always these blades are a challenge.
I am inclined to support possible Indian attribution to this blade, mostly to the curious arrangement of markings. The 'inscription' in the fuller appears to be some sort of approximation of the acrostic invocations and slogans often seen on early Italian blades and later the similar system of separation of letters in names etc. with dots, crosses or devices used in Germany/Toledo.
These seem to be 'A's punctuated with 'twig' marks (began in Italy 16th c., see Mann, 1962, p.255, Wallace Coll.).
The mark at blade edge resembles German adaptions of these covered by a disc latter 16th c. (op, cit. A535). ....often accompanied by the 'sickle' marks.

What is unusual are the 'twigs' between the 'A's (usually used elsewhere in marking in European context); the double use of the 'sickles' flanking the 'inscription'; and the placement of the sickle/disc near the blade edge (usually not in such location on European blades).

I would think this could very well be Indian interpretation of 'firangi' blades as used in their 'khanda' basket hilts....but of course could be German 'blank' stamped by Indian artisans. In any case, the blade likely filtered through Indian entrepots before entering Red Sea routes.

Thanks Jim, I recognized the marks in terms of their stylistic source in Italian blades. But you may well be right regarding an Indian attribution.

The marks are struck a bit more shallow than I would expect on a European blade and seem subtly different in some ways.

I always think these 'rainguard' type extensions on some North African swords are fascinating (I cant recall whether it occurs on kaskara)..and begs the question of direct influence of fully mounted European swords there in earlier times. It does not seem that a decorative 'langet' fits typical style for these swords in native parlance.

Indeed, it's a very specific decorative element. I know of one other takouba featuring this, in the hands of a fellow collector who sometimes frequents this forum.

I would be sceptical it has a European origin, but certainly has something of an uncanny resemblance!

On the 'sandwich' extension covering upper section of blade. Was there a purpose for these? It seems to suggest bolstering of the blade but then the effect may be as with the 'langet' simply decorative?

This mounting style is done to extend the length of the blade. The original blade does not extend to the guard, but is pinned or "sandwiched" by the new forte. I'm attaching a image to hopefully show what I mean.

Examples like these become perfect prompts for seeking answers to these kinds of questions, as well as continued study of blade traffic into these regions.

Thank you so much Iain for your continued and tenacious study on these, and especially for sharing them here. I hope others with similar featured examples might enter them as well.

All best regards,
Jim

Thank you Jim for the insightful comments! This is the most interesting tak I've come across for some time.

I like how it shows so many features that define these swords. The use of foreign blades, the unique system of mounting them if they were damage or short, the modification to make it two edged and the unusual hilt.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Iain

Thanks Charles, as Jim notes this one might be Indian, but for me that's not a downside, if anything it makes it more interesting as it shows an even more extended network of blade trading.

I couldn't agree more Iain. If it is, indeed, an Indian blade, then all the more interesting.

[Martin Lubojacky]

Dear Iain,
This applied takoubalogy magnetizes me more end more ... Congartulations to the sword
Martin

[Jim McDougall]

Iain,
In checking through Briggs (1965, JAAS, Vol.V) I found this type hilt shown in his plate X(a). In the description of the sword there is virtually no note to this unusual style hilt with this loop extension, with most of the attention to the blade (one of the 'Spanish motto' type trade blades).
What seems significant is that this example also has the sandwiched section extending the blade, and somewhat similar style engraving.

He notes that the example is depicted in Balout & Gast (1958, pl. II) and then returns to discussion of another example of the 'motto' being seen on another blade.

It would be interesting to recheck the Briggs and example he notes from 1958 to see if the hilt anomaly might have some presence in whatever area it might be attributed to.

As mentioned, 'takoubology' is indeed fascinating as one of the specific fields of arms study which is remarkably esoteric, or 'nebulous' as Briggs describes. We are not just studying the history of the weapons....the weapons ARE the history.

[Iain]

Thanks Martin,

I like this word "takoubology" and think I will start using it more!

Jim,

Great catch! I forgot about that sword! I'm attaching an image here for thread readers. You are certainly right about it being worthwhile to revisit sources.

I have ordered the French book mentioned by Briggs. I would guess these are then from the Hoggar Tuareg as the French source focuses on objects from this region. Hopefully I can confirm once the book arrives.

A great point on the weapons themselves being the history. This is something that I always try to explain as the motivating factor for my very narrow field of collecting. The interesting thing for me, is that far from becoming more narrow over the years, the nature of these swords seem to forever broaden the further you look into them in any detail!

[spiral]

Love the sandwich!

[Iain]

Originally Posted by spiral

Love the sandwich!

It really is an oddly effective way of mounting blades and is quite sturdy. A few more I have/had like this...

[Iain]

The French source arrived (Touareg ahaggar - collections ethnographiques du musée du bardo. Reliure inconnue). For completeness in the thread I thought I'd post an image of the sword in the book. A very near match for mine and almost entirely the same in the mount and hilt design.