Markings on a Takouba-mounted European Backsword

blue lander · 19th March 2016, 07:10 PM

Just won the auction for this but it won't arrive for awhile. The blade supposedly says "Zacona Toscania". Zacona is a town in Tuscany, I presume that's where it was made. Does that town have a history of making swords?

TVV · 19th March 2016, 10:40 PM

Pity about the blade damage from rust, but otherwise a very nice and interesting takouba. Iain has similar Italian backsword blade mounted ones and I am sure he will chime in.

Teodor

Iain · 20th March 2016, 12:31 AM

An intriguing one! I'll hold off on detailed comments until I can see better images, but this has some interesting features like the brass at the base of the blade.

A pity about the condition of the blade, somewhat relic condition, but I still see a lot of appeal to the piece.

I think you will find that the blade has been modified to be two edged.

I'll be interested to see details when you have it in hand. I am jealous that I didn't see it first!

blue lander · 20th March 2016, 01:04 AM

Thanks! I was a little surprised you didn't snap it up, I figured it was too ratty for your collection. At least the "interesting" part of the blade is intact.

Iain · 20th March 2016, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

Thanks! I was a little surprised you didn't snap it up, I figured it was too ratty for your collection. At least the "interesting" part of the blade is intact.

I simply didn't see it!

needless to say if you tire of it....

Jim McDougall · 20th March 2016, 02:52 AM

Now this is very interesting, especially as it is well established that the single edge blade is rather an anomaly among North African swords, as the broadsword is obviously favored. However, we know that with the brisk trade in blades through various entrepots there were occasions where these became mingled in the volume in whatever small degree.

We know that many blades, despite the more dominant input from Solingen, actually likely came from Italian sources which confluenced with the other trade networks inbound on occasion.

I would suspect this to be possibly a schiavona blade and of latter quarter 18th c. I will here go out on a limb with the inscription on the blade,
'ZACONA TOSCIANA'.
Clearly the Tosciana refers to Tuscany, but I would offer the speculation that the 'zacona' may relate to the Croatian/Slovenian word 'zakona' which loosely refers to 'law'.
We know that in Venice, the famed bodyguards of the Doge consisted largely of Dalmatian (Croatian) forces, and that the schiavona (indeed termed for this nationality) was quite well known in their use.
Perhaps this inscription might relate to some force or unit in Tuscany with some legal or enforcement capacity?

Whatever the case, this blade's terrible condition may be testament to its having been in this hilt for a very long time, thus, one of the much sought after early takouba with European blade. I would rely here on Iain's view on the character and likely age of the hilt.

My question would be otherwise, why would someone mount a virtual relic condition blade in a takouba? The tribesmen in these regions take great pride in their takouba, and would deem such a sword very poorly.

blue lander · 20th March 2016, 03:58 AM

Another possible scenario is that some African merchant mounted a rusty old blade in a new hilt purely to sell to tourists, but the hilt seems just as corroded as the blade. Seems they've been togeather since before all the damage happened. Here's two more pictures of the hilt from the auction.

Roland_M · 21st March 2016, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

Just won the auction for this but it won't arrive for awhile.

Congratulation, a fine sword.

I also saw it, but i bought a Piso Gading (which was not really cheap) one day before the end of this auction.

I think, it is an early Renaissance blade and one possibility could be, that this blade was found in a warrior tomb and was combined with a takouba hilt.

I wonder what can cause such massive nicks? Was he a guy like Bud Spencer?

It would be very nice, if you make a new thread after the blade is arrived.

Roland

Iain · 21st March 2016, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roland_M

Congratulation, a fine sword.

I also saw it, but i bought a Piso Gading (which was not really cheap) one day before the end of this auction.

I think, it is an early Renaissance blade and one possibility could be, that this blade was found in a warrior tomb and was combined with a takouba hilt.

I wonder what can cause such massive nicks? Was he a guy like Bud Spencer?

It would be very nice, if you make a new thread after the blade is arrived.

Roland

These blades were widely exported, including to North Africa and then into the Sahel region. So not unusual at all really to see early blades in takouba mounts. If you look at the ones I posted you'll see even 14th and 15th century blades.

colin henshaw · 21st March 2016, 05:12 PM

Those extensive and quite regular indentations to the blade on both sides seem very odd...

I kind of doubt if they were caused only by rust.

blue lander · 21st March 2016, 06:30 PM

If it's from rust I wonder if the pattern is due to the way the blade was forged? Or did somebody beat on the blade? You'd think that level of abuse would have snapped the blade.

Iain · 21st March 2016, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

If it's from rust I wonder if the pattern is due to the way the blade was forged? Or did somebody beat on the blade? You'd think that level of abuse would have snapped the blade.

A combination I think. I have seen other takouba blades with abuse to the edge that looks more than just coincidental...

blue lander · 21st March 2016, 10:07 PM

When you say "exported", do you mean that they were made for export, or that they were used in Europe and then exported after their were no longer useful? If they were made for export it seems odd to put "Zacona Toscania" on the blade as nobody would be able to read it wherever it ended up. A symbol like a moon or lion or whatever would make it more identifiable I'd think.

Iain · 21st March 2016, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

When you say "exported", do you mean that they were made for export, or that they were used in Europe and then exported after their were no longer useful? If they were made for export it seems odd to put "Zacona Toscania" on the blade as nobody would be able to read it wherever it ended up. A symbol like a moon or lion or whatever would make it more identifiable I'd think.

By exported I mean they were made in Europe, some were mounted in Europe, some were exported as bare blades.

As an example one of the swords I posted above next to a schiavonesca. The blades are marked the same, the form is the same, one spent its life in Europe, the other blade quite a ways away.

With a little time this summer I'll hopefully finish a longish article on this topic. There are interesting records in terms of shipments from Italy to Ottoman and Mamluk areas including blades and you find European blades being mounted in Mamluk mounts as well.

Note: for clarity the schiavonesca and the mamluk sword in the comparison images are not mine, but sourced from past auctions and used here simply to illustrate elements of the takouba form.

In terms of your blade and the examples I have given we are looking at earlier blades than the stereotypical patterns of the 18th and 19th century marked with elements like the ubiquitous half moons, made specifically for export long after those styles had past their popularity in Europe.

Iain · 30th March 2016, 03:47 PM

Did you get the sword yet blue lander?

Interested to seem more pictures.

19th March 2016, 07:10 PM	#1
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	Takouba with single edged European blade Just won the auction for this but it won't arrive for awhile. The blade supposedly says "Zacona Toscania". Zacona is a town in Tuscany, I presume that's where it was made. Does that town have a history of making swords? Attached Images

20th March 2016, 03:58 AM	#7
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	Another possible scenario is that some African merchant mounted a rusty old blade in a new hilt purely to sell to tourists, but the hilt seems just as corroded as the blade. Seems they've been togeather since before all the damage happened. Here's two more pictures of the hilt from the auction. Attached Images

19th March 2016, 10:40 PM	#2
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,621	Pity about the blade damage from rust, but otherwise a very nice and interesting takouba. Iain has similar Italian backsword blade mounted ones and I am sure he will chime in. Teodor

20th March 2016, 12:31 AM	#3
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	An intriguing one! I'll hold off on detailed comments until I can see better images, but this has some interesting features like the brass at the base of the blade. A pity about the condition of the blade, somewhat relic condition, but I still see a lot of appeal to the piece. I think you will find that the blade has been modified to be two edged. I'll be interested to see details when you have it in hand. I am jealous that I didn't see it first!

20th March 2016, 01:04 AM	#4
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	Thanks! I was a little surprised you didn't snap it up, I figured it was too ratty for your collection. At least the "interesting" part of the blade is intact.

20th March 2016, 02:52 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	Now this is very interesting, especially as it is well established that the single edge blade is rather an anomaly among North African swords, as the broadsword is obviously favored. However, we know that with the brisk trade in blades through various entrepots there were occasions where these became mingled in the volume in whatever small degree. We know that many blades, despite the more dominant input from Solingen, actually likely came from Italian sources which confluenced with the other trade networks inbound on occasion. I would suspect this to be possibly a schiavona blade and of latter quarter 18th c. I will here go out on a limb with the inscription on the blade, 'ZACONA TOSCIANA'. Clearly the Tosciana refers to Tuscany, but I would offer the speculation that the 'zacona' may relate to the Croatian/Slovenian word 'zakona' which loosely refers to 'law'. We know that in Venice, the famed bodyguards of the Doge consisted largely of Dalmatian (Croatian) forces, and that the schiavona (indeed termed for this nationality) was quite well known in their use. Perhaps this inscription might relate to some force or unit in Tuscany with some legal or enforcement capacity? Whatever the case, this blade's terrible condition may be testament to its having been in this hilt for a very long time, thus, one of the much sought after early takouba with European blade. I would rely here on Iain's view on the character and likely age of the hilt. My question would be otherwise, why would someone mount a virtual relic condition blade in a takouba? The tribesmen in these regions take great pride in their takouba, and would deem such a sword very poorly.

21st March 2016, 05:12 PM	#10
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Those extensive and quite regular indentations to the blade on both sides seem very odd... I kind of doubt if they were caused only by rust.

21st March 2016, 06:30 PM	#11
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	If it's from rust I wonder if the pattern is due to the way the blade was forged? Or did somebody beat on the blade? You'd think that level of abuse would have snapped the blade.

21st March 2016, 10:07 PM	#13
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	When you say "exported", do you mean that they were made for export, or that they were used in Europe and then exported after their were no longer useful? If they were made for export it seems odd to put "Zacona Toscania" on the blade as nobody would be able to read it wherever it ended up. A symbol like a moon or lion or whatever would make it more identifiable I'd think.

30th March 2016, 03:47 PM	#15
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Did you get the sword yet blue lander? Interested to seem more pictures.