My first Nimcha

[Jacenty]

Hello everyone. This is my first post.
I have just bought my first Nimcha.

The sabre has a damaged sheath and handle. The handle is from some kind of horn.

It has an interesting wooden scabbard. Hand-carved.

There is a mark stamped on the blade. This is the only marking on this sabre.

I would ask more experienced collectors for their opinion on this sabre, its originality, age etc.
Should its handle be repaired?
Or fit a new one, in the European style?
Thank you for your replies.

Jacenty

[werecow]

The hilt style (with the relatively thin brass guard and the straight grip with relatively straight projecting relatively symmetric finger hook, and the small projection along the back of the pommel) and in particular the scabbard suggest an Algerian origin. The scabbard is very reminiscent of those on Algerian flyssa. See here for other examples of such scabbards on flyssa and nimcha.




For comparison here are various styles of nimcha grips, where yours is (to my eyes) closest to the third from the left in overall shape:



The Zanzibar types on the right of it are more curved and have a bigger finger hook, while the Moroccan ones on the left are also slightly more curved and usually have a steel guard with thicker branches, a thicker cross piece, and no projection along the back.

Personally I would leave the grip as is. I certainly wouldn't replace it. This style is pretty rare so even a damaged grip is interesting.

[Jim McDougall]

As often the case, ethnographic swords are difficult to identify or classify to a specific area, or for that matter, period. The regions along the North Africa coast from Morocco through Algeria are known as the Maghreb collectively.

This is a remarkable example of what I would refer to as a Maghrebi sa'if, however long ago collectors began referring to these type sabers as 'nimcha'.

Your example, as well noted by Werecow has characteristics of varied influences, and 'nimchas' with this type guard system (knuckleguard and downturned quillons) are known from both Morocco and Algeria. Illustrations of a nimcha discussing the blade in Briggs (1965) refer to an Algerian example, unfortunately the overall sword is not shown.

The scabbard seems clearly Algerian, resembling the pierced pattern wood work of the Kabyle flyssa, but may not be original to the sword so the identification must go to the sword itself.

Identifying these weapons regionally typically goes to the hilt, as blades from many sources were used, and often remounted as they changed hands over generations.

The 'nimcha' itself is an Arab weapon, though it found use in Morocco, Algeria and Zanzibar as well as in Arabia of course. This is well shown in Buttin (1933) where these are shown in number, all identified as Arab sa'if.
The peak on the hilt suggests this is early, probably late 18th-early 19th (though of course the style continued as per tradition) and excitedly noting these times along the Maghrebi coast, that of the Barbary corsairs. Naturally we cannot prove that, but it is a fun possibility.

The blade appears European and likely late 18th c. possibly Italian? but cannot identify the poincon in blade center. The flared distal end suggests again a cutlass type use, which concurs with the pirate use notion, again highly speculative.

While the raised ring guard on this example align with 'Zanzibar' classifications, we now know that while these types of 'nimcha' were well known there, they were by no means exclusive to there. I will say that the peaked pommel does seems more prevalent in the Zanzibar types.

Having said all that, please pardon my exuberance in this long winded entry, but this is a remarkable and exciting example !
Please do not alter or over clean, just stabilize to avoid any further deterioration.

These examples attached are my much later examples, and not nearly the stature of yours......the first 'Zanzibar'....next 'Moroccan', and show the more commonly seen types.

[TVV]

For a first nimcha you have done quite well, congratulations. The scabbard is likely a replacement, but the decorations are indeed very similar to those on flyssa scabbards, which suggests a Kabyle reuse at some point. The blade and hilt are older, and I agree with Jim's 18th century guess on them. I wonder if the tip profile was changed as well at some point, as the widening is typically far more dramatic.

I personally quite like your nimcha as an example of a weapon which was used and repurposed over a couple of centuries.

[werecow]

To add, I would suggest checking out the chapter in Eric Claude's book "La Petit Catalogue des Armes Blanches Marocaines et Algériennes" (The Small Catalogue of Moroccan and Algerian Edged Weapons) called "The Algerian Nimcha". A very useful book with lots of nice examples and bilingual descriptions. See awkwardly taken picture below.

[Jacenty]

Thank you for your answers.
I give the dimensions of the sabre:
overall length: 950 mm,
blade dimensions: length. 815 mm, width 32.3 mm, ( at the hilt 41.3 mm), thickness 6.2 mm...,
deflection 2 cm.
The blade has a length like that of a cavalryman.
The head is springy. When held by the hilt (tip) it bends like a spade.
The sabre scabbard is made in a primitive manner. Two woods connected by nails. The wood is stained. At the ends of the scabbard were applied clamps of brass plate.

[Jim McDougall]

The reference from Eric Claude is outstanding, and I cannot believe I have failed to get that book! Teodor and I have had many great discussions on these over many years and his keen specialization on the nimcha have given me a greater understanding of the form(s) through those detailed discussions (see 'search' under nimcha to see these).

As he notes the blade does not have the more dramatic flare typical of the Algerian forms of blade often seen. It seems these types of blades date back to the 16th c. as does the 'nimcha' type hilt ("Arts of the Muslim Knight", Mohammed, #40; Elgood, "Arms & Armor of Arabia). A sultan of Tunis c. 1573 is shown with a nimcha, and one of the oldest examples known is c. 1532, from Oran, Algeria (in Met in N.Y.). ..when this was a haven for Turkish pirates.

The nimcha was used by the Black Guard of the Alawi Sultan of Morocco as well as the Odjak of Algiers, so clearly was in use in its numerous variations from Morocco, Algiers, as far as Tunis.........in Arabia in Yemen, as far as Zanzibar, via the Muscati trade routes to the Omani Sultanate there.

The D-ring form seems mostly aligned with Yemen and Zanzibar...though one example seen has a Star of Solomon on the blade, which suggests one of the Armenian importers in Harar (Ethiopia), reflecting the many sources for blades on these swords.

So this shows the often extant conflict of hilt features, not to mention blades on these.

On a more historical note, these hilts seem to derive from Italian forms of 16th century ("A Late Fifteenth Century Italian Sword" Anthony North, Connousseur, Dec. 1975) with similar guard system.
Also part of this influence comes the familiar 'hand nock' notch at the top of the grip, which seems the almost signature element noticeable in these Arab swords. This feature also transmitted to Spanish colonial sword types via their colonies in Morocco and trade in the Spanish Main.

First example pictured has the widened point mentioned in earlier nimchas, and from those from the Oran example, whose 16th c, form continued in these regions. This example remounted with karabela style hilt from Yemen, 19th c.

The next is a Spanish colonial full length sword with espada ancha type hilt, shell guard as popular in Americas in Spanish trade ports of call in Caribbean, hilt 18th c. (note hand nock of N.African infl.) with 19th c. blade.

Last is another Spanish colonial (these typically S. American) with early 19th c. British blade, hilt with shell guard and serpent quillon popular in eastern Mexico ports (again note hand nock).

[werecow]

It's also worth pointing out that Eric Claude mentions that most of the "Algerian" nimcha blades come from Genoa, but of course there was also the connection with Spain, so perhaps the stamp is a slightly atypical rendering of the half moon mark?