Late XVII century Kaskara ?

[Mauro]

A kaskara with a very peculiar characteristic. The handle is quite worned and the pommel and the leather covering is missing. The most interesting part is the blade that has a triple fuller and close to the forte has silver inserts in the form of flower/stars and geometric decoration. It also has two incription. In one side inside the cartouche is written “I > I”.In the other side there is a date in arab numbers of 1108 that, translated in gregorian calendar would correspond to 1696. It would, to my knowledge, the older blade in a kaskara. It is 100 cm long. Unfortunately no scabbard.

[TVV]

It would be tempting to conclude that this kaskara dates back to the 17th century, but it might also be incorrect to do so. There are instances of Islamic arms dated with an early date but with blade styles that are typical of much later periods - some yataghans for example. This could be a similar situation, where an earlier date was applied to a 19th century blade. I am not suggesting that this was done in modern times - given how the date and the dukari markings are situated within the silver inlay decorations this was certainly done in the past, when the blade was decorated somewhere in the Sudan.

The blade itself looks like a fairly typical trade blade with the 3 narrow fuller pattern. These were mostly exported to Sudan and the Sahel in great quantities during the 19th century. Sure, the pattern was based on earlier European broadswords, but in the absence of additional marks it is hard to date the blade with an absolute degree of certainty. The guard is also of a type that is found on 19th and even early 20th century swords - Ali Dinar's swords come to mind.

Looking at the sword as a whole, I see an attractive, most likely 19th century piece. There are takoubas with early, 17th century blades and even earlier ones, and I would be excited if I am wrong and this sword can be convincingly dated to the 17th century, but outside of the date, which could have been engraved at any point in time, there is not nothing else to support such a dating.

[Mauro]

obviously the date could have been applied in later time. However, may be it is because of my limited knowledge, but do you have evidence in other kaskaras with these these decorations? Is there any silver inserts in the Sudanese or Egyptian swords of the XVII-XIX century? You sure have more experience than me. On the other hand also the guarda and the forniture could have been remounted on an older blade. Surely not easy to solve the problems. We add information after informationand may be in the future we shall be able to solve the problem

[Edster]

The silver blade inlays on a kaskara are new to me, impressive. That doesn't negate that an owner wanted to add them. Silver does have protective qualities. although usually added to the grip. The wavy lines may be to indicate snakes which were a protective talisman. The other inlays are likely symbolic as well. The central fullers don't look as sharp as would likely be in an imported trade blade. This could just be the lighting on the foto. Is the blade tapered in thickness? In the late 19th C. some Solingen blades were made with a blade mill, a small adjustable rolling mill that would quickly thin a red hot billet into a sword blade without anvil forging. In that case the blade would likely be the same thickness lengthwise. Local blades always had a forged distal taper. The blade tang appears to be penned to the wood grip piece. That would indicate a tang hole. I'm not sure if Sudanese made blades had that feature.

I agree the date was added later where a flower was removed and the blade smoothed. Have no idea for the meaning.

The cross guard is good quality likely forged in the early 20th c.

Best,
Ed

[TVV]

Brass and silver inlay is found on axes from Sudan. Here is an image of one, I believe the source is Auctions Imperial and hopefully Oliver would not mind me posting it here:


You are absolutely right though that this type of decoration is quite rare on kaskara blades. I was able to find this blade, which has inlay, and that is about all I know of:

[Jim McDougall]

The history of the 'kaskara' is complex, and as often discussed over the years, that term is unknown in Sudan for these broadswords simply known as sa'if.
While these became widely used and known through the Sudan during the Mahdiyya, they were not especially so during earlier times, with tribesmen typically armed with spears, axes etc.

Until then the possession and use of broadswords was pretty much held to ranking figures of various station, and primarily related to the Mamluk state in Sennar and the Funj dynasty. While not well versed in the complexities of all this, my point is that to presume this example is 17th century is more than unlikely, and like many, if not even most Islamic swords of this high stature, usually commemorative.

The powerful figures of the past are very much celebrated with kaskara of these kinds, and the mention of Ali Dinar is a great case in point. Swords reputed to be those of important figures are often held as such, despite being more modern creation.

The evolution of the familiar Sudanese kaskara as a form which has become emblematic of the Sudan is much in the fashion of the so called Omani 'kattara' which has become symbolic there despite being a late arrival there in its familiar form which dates only into early 1800s.

Looking at an example of a kaskara of the Funj Sultanate in Sennar said to be of 18th century Nasir ibn Badi (attached) the hilt style is clearly what is termed 'kasallawi' (=from Kasalla, Reed, 1987) and typically associated with Ali Dinar, the last sultan of Darfur. The familiar X on the crossguard is deemed of this 'Darfur' type (after Reed, 1987), and on the example Mauro has posted.

It does seem that Darfur had a keen propensity for elaborately appointed 'kaskara' and often of commemorative character. There are numbers of examples with various religiously aligned characters and symbols, the snake with possible Sufi connection (this is on many Sudanese blades) the dual moons are a cosmologically related device seen sometimes with the 'Lohr' panels on some blades.

Next is my example of the 'Kasallawi' form, again deemed of Ali Dinar form according to apocryphal associations, this one in fact is purported to be from his armory. He was killed by British forces in 1914, during insurgency in Darfur.

Clearly both these kaskara reflect character more of the periods they were actually produced or at least hilted in. The sunburst device is something I have seen noted in Ed's outstanding work on Sudanese arms and if I recall is seen on an even more modern instance of kaskara .

The example Mauro has posted is an outstanding example which despite likely more modern creation reflects profoundly important tradition in the Sudan, and as blades were often remounted many times, and embellished with such commemorative motif, it is hard to say exactly how old the blade actually is.

I have been fascinated by these swords of the Sudan for many years, and it seems the more I think I learn, the more questions there are. These observations are meant as part of my own learning process, so hope they will be useful, and always look forward to any correction.

[Mauro]

Originally Posted by Edster

The silver blade inlays on a kaskara are new to me, impressive. That doesn't negate that an owner wanted to add them. Silver does have protective qualities. although usually added to the grip. The wavy lines may be to indicate snakes which were a protective talisman. The other inlays are likely symbolic as well. The central fullers don't look as sharp as would likely be in an imported trade blade. This could just be the lighting on the foto. Is the blade tapered in thickness? In the late 19th C. some Solingen blades were made with a blade mill, a small adjustable rolling mill that would quickly thin a red hot billet into a sword blade without anvil forging. In that case the blade would likely be the same thickness lengthwise. Local blades always had a forged distal taper. The blade tang appears to be penned to the wood grip piece. That would indicate a tang hole. I'm not sure if Sudanese made blades had that feature.

I agree the date was added later where a flower was removed and the blade smoothed. Have no idea for the meaning.

The cross guard is good quality likely forged in the early 20th c.

Best,
Ed

Thanks Ed for the comments and the information you provided. I noted even thickness in some Ethiopian sword and I suspected that it was associated with a specail technique and you confirmed that was due to a blade mill. I checked the blade of the kaskara and it tapers to the point. However, when firstly I look at it, I was convinced of the opposite because the area close to the point is quite homogenous. The fullers in one side are quite well made but in the other side are not regular at all. One of the fullers is clearly irregular and with parts deeper and shallower along the lenght. It seems to be made locally but on the other side the blade is very well made and I would say it is not locally made. I do not know how to explain it. May be it is locally made and I am not able to establish it as I have not been able to establish the presence of a tang hole.

[Edster]

Mauro,

The foto of the grip shows what looks like the top of a pen in the wood for a whole in the tang.

With blades known to have been made in Kassala, it's difficult to tell the difference between a locally forged blade and a munitions grade import. The Kassala smiths make/made blades daily for years and know their work very well. Of course some have a better touch than others. Maybe a smith of lesser talent (either in Germany or Sudan ??) made one set of fullers and another more accomplished smith produced the other side. Its the same way with cross guard specialists although since about 1945, most cross guards in Kassala were made in the folded one-piece style.

Ed