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Originally Posted by Changdao
Those certainly are interesting questions.
Regarding 1, in traditional Mandinka society there is a tripartite hereditary division between horon or free farmers (from which the "noblemen" and headmen come from), nyamakala or specialized professionals, and slaves (who could become freemen, or their descendants could). Amongst the specialized professionals we find leather workers (garankew, and they claim Soninke origins), wood carvers, bards, and metalworkers or numuw (that also do pottery in the female side of the clans). They are integrated into wider Mande society, but one would find greater agglomerations of them, capable of more complex and specialized work, in large villages and urban areas. Some areas in particular have greater concentrations of metalworkers than others, but every single town had (and still had in the 20th century) at least a blacksmith family. Their workspaces are invariably in these towns, and most have three to five families of metalworkers living there. Smelting furnaces were, however, located outside of town and operated jointly by the local smith communities.
Here I am working from The Mande blacksmiths : knowledge, power, and art in West Africa
Regarding the scabbards, I don't see why being ornate would make them unfit for combat. Lavish decoration on weaponry has been a feature of warfare everywhere since prehistory, and when individuals could afford some bling on their gear they almost invariably did so. Besides, in 19th century engravings where they appear one can sometimes spot these leather decorations.
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A new book about African history, that's fantastic! I wish you creative success!
Regarding trinkets on weapons:
Firstly, they are a hindrance in real combat. A combat weapon should be functional and simple. Trust me, I have experience, unfortunately, and I have.
Secondly, they are expensive. When examining the copper pommels of the hilts, I initially thought they were lathe-made, but after enlarging the images, I realized they were cast. Moreover, each saber is individually cast. Making fancy scabbards and "trinkets" also takes time and material costs. This is all acceptable when fulfilling a custom order from a wealthy client or if the item is being made for sale, but not for military use. For example, in January 1861, Massina's army was mobilized under the command of Ba Lobbo, consisting of 8,000 cavalry, 5,000 infantry, and 1,000 musketeers. In engravings of warriors from old books, sabers are prominent, displayed as a symbol of power and wealth. An immediate analogy comes to mind: paintings of military leaders with all their decorations, always with an ornate saber or rapier, or photos of officers from photo salons—dress uniforms and always with a fine saber.
After the fashion for "Indian rooms" emerged in Europe and Russia in the 19th century, talwars and other exotic "weapons" began to be forged en masse in Indian bazaars. A similar situation arose in the 20th century with African weaponry: exotic items began to be mass-produced for sale in all regions of Africa; demand creates supply.
In my opinion, one must be very cautious when dating African weaponry. Items with "iron" provenance, such as the one Jim presented (the specimen that belonged to Governor Gallieni), are extremely rare. The history of Africa remains poorly understood, leaving many gaps. This is due to the lack of a written language, the large number of different peoples and tribes, their migrations, the rise and fall of empires, and the inconsistency of accounts from the few travelers who managed to penetrate the region. And, of course, the vast, expansive territories.
Unscrupulous dealers exploit all of this to inflate prices, misrepresenting the age and origin of objects. Each object must be considered in relation to a specific region and the historical events that took place there. This is an important factor in understanding the context of a work when determining its authenticity, value, and uniqueness.
I repeat, the book you are working on will be invaluable for gaining new knowledge.
Sorry for such a long passage, I just wanted to share something that has been bothering me.
Sincerely,
Yuri
P.S. Please share which book the engraving is from - Guerrier toucouleur.