Again, I am delighted to be able to enter into discussion on this subject matter with both of you, and it is great to see not only deep interest, but experience evidenced by great examples....and impressive research. I really appreciate the examples you have both added here, which really give great perspective.
Ispn, these links are really good examples that some links between the Sudan and Saharan regions to the west show a degree of hybridization. I would point out that it is known that small numbers of Tuareg, in of course thier typical nomadic fashion, were situated in areas of the Sudan, though I believe in the Darfur areas rather than Nilotic . Going through the links you have provided ( excellent!!) my observations would be,
1. The Sudanese childs sword...these dukari symbols are entirely stylized stamps using a disc and wavy line which have lost identity as crescent moons, but the positioning, therefore temporal symbolism remain. The triple fuller central blade is characteristic.
2. The full size kaskara with heavy disc pommel is of Darfur style and is with the central triple fuller configuration, with correctly formed dukari moons in correct position at outer fuller terminus'.
This is reminscent of the thuluth covered 'Hausa' example shown in Briggs.
3. A distinct Darfur type kaskara, however with a single central fuller and inscription of lohr panel with traditional positioned crescent moons, but with the same circular stamp and wavy line of number one.
4. Another childs kaskara with the standard triple fullers and disc with wavy line, of the form of 1, 4
5. Another higher quality Darfur type kaskara of characteristic silverwork, blade triple fuller, with the stylized wavy line disc.
These are evidence that the symbolic markings used on takouba were probably either used in degenerated forms or stylizations by smiths who had either brought or adopted these from those in takouba producing regions.
It must be noted that both takouba and kaskara are of course broadswords, and there would have been movement in either direction via trade or nomadic tribal movements.
I think the best example yet is the southern mounted Tuareg takouba with the thuluth covered Tuareg blade. This blade is of course a Sudanese etched blade of Solingen origin, as were many kaskara blades in the 19th century.
Seeing this blade mounted in Taureg hilt strongly emphasizes that these blades did move the the west on occasion. This one is truly an anomaly which further emphasizes the potential for such blades from the Sudan to have reached trade centers as far as Nigeria.
The kaskara in the American museum is of course a perfect example of museum bureaucracy. Often donors will misattribute items which are part of estates of family and they assume the provenance from what they know of the persons travels. The museum should have researched the weapon further and realized it is a Sudanese kaskara, not a Tuareg sword. Frankly the average person does not typically know one broadsword from another, and some museums sometimes sensationalize display captions to suit thier purposes. Gratefully, most are more attentive, and Im very surprised this error was not caught.
Tim, a very interesting example which is of course a Sudanese dagger fashioned from a socket bayonet, I believe this is a Martini-Henry, but Im not entirely certain, though it appears British military. The crocodile hide, and in this case, the foot, was a well known decorative mounting, which I have always thought was a sort of psyschological presentation, which may have had more to do with the slaving enterprises. The thuluth inscriptions on the blade may indicate this was absorbed in the acid etching processes at Omdurman during the Mahdist years however.
I have not seen these blades used on Tuareg weapons personally, but know that they were often used across Africa for many weapons including s'boula in Morocco, though those were typically French bayonets.
Thanks again guys very much,
All best regards,
Jim
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