Zanzibar/Yemen Saif with an Ethiopian Blade

[TVV]

This is my latest acquisition, but what do we have here?
The blade looks like European made for the Abyssinian market. It is marked with the familiar Lion of Judah on one side, and with MK on the other. Unfortunately the picture of that marking did not come out well, but the MK is in a circle, and both the MK and the circle are finely engraved, most certainly not by hand. Around the circle someone crudely engraved a six-pointed star, perhaps in an attempt to imitate a Wikinson proof mark. Is anyone familiar with the MK mark? I could not find it in a book I have on German markings.
The hilt is of poor quality, with the knuckle bar missing. The shape is associated with Zanzibar, once part of the Sultanate of Oman, and an important trading port. For some reason Elgood has not included this particular hilt shape in his book on Arab arms. In an older thread, I read someone mentioning that hilts of this type are being currently produced in Yemen and married to all kinds of blades.
For what it's worth, I purchased the sword on eBay and the seller was located in Saudi Arabia, not far from Riyadh, and I still remember Saqr's pictures of swords in the Riyadh bazaar.
This is what I liked about the sword despite the recent (certainly newer than the blade), damaged hilt - it seems to be made of a variety of components, some of which must have travelled a lot. However, I know very little about both the blade and the hilt, and would appreciate any and all comments.
Regards,
Teodor

[kino]

Very interesting, I like the engraving's of the Lion of Judah and the star. For an aficionado of Reggae, that would be a sword to have. Big up!

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Teodor,
This interesting sabre seems to be a composite Red Sea trade item that reminds me of the Bedouin sabres usually attributed to Palestinian regions in the early 19th century from Sinai to the Negev. The roughly fashioned silver metal hilt components resemble thier work, which has been added to one of the Zanzibar style guards you have mentioned. These have been classified as such by Charles Buttin in the catalog of his collection (Rumilly, 1933, examples 998-1002) and are shown as 17th-18th century, though most of the ones I have seen are distinctly 19th century. I do recall that a large number of these were indeed discovered in an old armoury in Yemen some years ago.
On your hilt, the knucklegard appears to have been broken off.

The blade appears to be one of the blades supplied to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the early 20th century, mostly pre 1930's, and the Lion of Judah on the forte is consistant, as well as the initials. It seems the MK is familiar but I'll have to look for notes....hopefully Roanoa or Jeff. D. will have something on that.
The crudely scribed six point star I would agree is an attempt to simulate the Wilkinson proof surround, but this is a Solingen blade from what I can see, especially with those etched initials.

These Bedouin sabres were definitely working weapons, especially in those days, and this one looks soundly put together.......lots of history in the sum of the parts!


All the best,
Jim

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by kino

Very interesting, I like the engraving's of the Lion of Judah and the star. For an aficionado of Reggae, that would be a sword to have. Big up!

Hi Kino,
Definitely some smooth music!

It is interesting that the Lion of Judah was the regal emblem for the rulers of Ethiopia, and officially thier title. The contractors of Solingen and Wilkinson in England typically placed this symbol on the blades specifically for this market of course, from about end of 19th century, well into 20th (1930's).

The Star of David is also key to Ethiopian symbolism with relation to Solomons seal, and is represented in the official order by that name in the shape of the six point star (initiated 1874). It has always been interesting that Wilkinson already had been using this star surrounding its proof plugs and as a blade mark since about the 1850's, so was already well established on thier swords before the contracts to Abyssinia in the latter 19th century.

It would seem that this blade had some use in Ethiopia before ending up in the Arab regions as someone went to great lengths to inscribe that star, well illustrating the imbued significance of these symbols on trade blades.

All best regards,
Jim

[roanoa]

Hi guys. Very interesting sword. A few quick notes. MK in a circle is found on many Ethiopian blades. I believe it is a trademark of M. KEVORKOFF & Co. - Harrar. The "star of David" is a British proof mark used by many sword makers, not just Wilkinson. The "star" was applied to blades for every country, not just Ethiopia. Of course, the Ethiopian were particularly fond of that simbol, being of Solomonic descent. But that was just, can I say, a coincidence. Lastly, at the risk of "shocking" someone, I would say that the blade was originally straight. Any competent blacksmith would be able to heat "bend" a straight blade. I have seen with my own eyes a smith make a perfectly curved shotel out of a very straight blade. Cheers.

[TVV]

Kino, Jim and Ron, thank you all for your comments, very interesting.

Jim, the connection to bedouin swords is something I would have never though of. There certainly is a strong similarity if one just looks at the hilt, without the grossguard. I am not sure if the metal is silver. It looks more like nickel to me, or maybe even aluminium.

Ron, I think you are correct about the blade. When I looked at it something seemed a little off in the proportions, especially at the tip, but I could not quite figure out what. I thought it might be a locally forged blade, but the engraving seems way to uniform for that. But a heat bent blade - that must be it!
Thank you also for the mark comment. I assume M. Kevorkoff was an Armenian merchant, who imported blades into Ethiopia. Was he operating under some sort of contract with the Emperor, supplying the Royal troops?

Regards,
Teodor

[CharlesS]

Based on the fullering, I think Ron makes an excellent point....good observation.

[Tim Simmons]

Ron's comments were at first a little frightening but I think he is dead right. I might even suggest that this is British work. I suspect this sword has been made from one of those late 19th century British patern cavalry sabres, some with a slight curve and others striaght with the Maltese cross pieced bowl used in Omdurman. I believe the British had some influence on Ethiopian forces in the 20s and 30s.

[Jim McDougall]

I'm glad to see Roanoa's comments as always, as in my opinion when it comes to things Ethiopian...he is the man! I agree with Charles in accord with his comments on the straightening of blades, and honestly would not have ever known that was possible. In checking through notes, I did find the multichanneled Wilkinson blades of the 20th c. period and the fullering does not correspond to this example, which obviously would further suggest the probable Solingen origin of the blade.
The suggestion by Roanoa on the M.Kevorkoff Co. in Harrar certainly does seem well placed and while he wisely exercises caution in specifying that is what the MK represents, I feel it is most plausible. Harrar was of course one of the key Ethiopian trade centers for Red Sea commerce, and as noted, this blade, and its mounts, seem to comprise items in that sphere.

Teodor, I wasn't sure what the metal might be so used the term silver metal, not meaning silver, but of the color, thinking possibly even aluminum. I dont believe Keverkoff was the Armenian name you were looking for, but there was considerable activity in arms acquisition maintained by the Emperor Menelik II (r.1868-1915). In this time he worked with the Armenian Sarkis Terzian in these arrangements c.1890, though acquiring weapons through a number of other channels as well it would appear. These efforts enabled the Abyssinians to accomplish a resounding victory against Italian colonization at Adowa, on March 1,1896.

It seems that Solingen suppliers provided some blades to smiths who were responding to these efforts, many of which seem to have been situated in Yemen (probably San'a) and Hadrahmaut, as well as, it would seem, to Harrar. It seems we saw some of these blades, straight with fullering similar to this one, from Solingen, and another straight example by Mole of Birmingham, in discussions about six years ago here.
These predate the Wilkinson contract for Tafari Makonnen (Haile Selassie I) which was in 1932, and may have been from between 1917 and then while Menelik's daughter Zauditu ruled after his death in 1915 as Menelik had no sons. I have wondered whether sword blades with the Lion of Judah absent might have been issued during this period since it represented effectively, the Lion of Judah as emperor, and wondered if that might have been very strictly viewed. Just a thought, not intending any incorrectness.

As noted earlier, a most interesting piece comprised of components that include the blade, probably Solingen made and exported to Harrar (?) or Yemen, uncertain which direction first, and probably curved from straight configuration. In Yemen, where it has been noted, the Zanzibar 'nimcha' hilts are known to have been received from Zanzibar and often remounted there. The hilt style, in its present form, seems to have been refashioned in Bedouin regions of Sinai to Negev (?) using the Yemen applied components of the Zanzibar hilt (missing knucklebow, suggesting possible damage that may have led to refurbishing) and the straight Solingen blade. The crude application of the six point star seems an effort to recall the Wilkinson style blades, suggesting it might have been done c.1930's when these entered Abyssinia, though it is unclear on these blades sent there prior to the 1932 contract. I have been told that most such blades were sent there through Robert Mole, who subcontracted for Wilkinson , and I do not believe carried this six point star feature.

Looks like this refurbished Bedouin sabre indeed had an interesting working life!

All best regards,
Jim

[TVV]

Charles, Tim and JIm, thank you for the responses.

So based on all the components , which seem to tell a remarkable story about the journeys of this item, what should it be called - a Red Sea sabre?

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Teodor,
Interesting question, and while it seems simple enough to answer without hesitation, there is a good degree of complexity involved.

As I think I have expounded too much already I am excercising all possible restraint to avoid my views on 'cookie cutter' identification and typologies !

So I defer to simplicity , and would suggest that whenever a weapon exceeds the defined image in which it is commonly held in typology, it is best to add descriptive qualification with specific reference to it.
Hmmm, is that axiomatic?

So, though we know what this is, a composite with apparant integrity as it appears to have been servicably maintained with the components that give us its overall history, it is not specifically one type or another.

With that..perhaps a Bedouin sabre, generally of Palestinian form and with Red Sea trade associations.

All this restraint is killin me
Outa here !
Jim

[TVV]

Jim, my last question was asked in a jovial manner, but I believe I understand what you mean. The fun part about etnographic weapons is that unlike standard military issue items, we often deal with unique swords and daggers, often compiled from culturally diverse components.

I recall you have commented in the past that in our study of etnographic swords, the hilt is the most important element in determining the culture/ethnicity to which an item belongs. Based on this, I find your answer to be as precise as it gets.

Many thanks to you and everyone else who dropped comments in this thread. The collective knowledge in this forum is simply remarkable.

Regards,
Teodor

[Jim McDougall]

You're very welcome Teodor, and my thanks to you for sharing this weapon here. The collective knowledge here is indeed remarkable, and all the more so with contributions such as yours enabling us to learn together!!

I meant my response in kind, as I know some (?) of my posts get kinda long. ....but what is a guy sittin in the woods out in the middle of Texas in a Winnebago supposed to do?!! so I write .....a lot!!!!

All the best,
Jim