African dagger for ID

Mefidk · 15th January 2021, 08:52 AM

Hi folks
I just received this along with some 19C N.African swords. Its really quite a nice knife, and better quality than many I've seen. Its not something I know anything about - possibly Manding/Mali? Seems to have some age, but for all I know might be a standard tourist item.
Any pointers so that I can write something sensible on the tag gratefully received.
/Chris

Kubur · 15th January 2021, 09:44 AM

Hi Chris,

This is not a tourist item at all!

It's a Mandingo dagger that you can find from Senegal to Ivory coast I guess.
Very nice...

The holes in the blade make me think that your dagger is connected somehow to Caboverde and Spanish influences.

So probably a 19th c. dagger from the coast.

Kubur

TVV · 16th January 2021, 06:12 AM

Kubur has already given you all the correct info. I can only add that a knife with a similar hilt is the first item shown in "Panga Na Visu", where Zirngibl identifies it as Mandingo based on the leatherwork and states that these are encountered from Senegal all the way to Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast.
A member of this forum, WoDiMi, who has an excellent site with pretty much any African weapon you can imagine, shows a few of these and also identifies them as Mandingo:

http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?7...dagger-37-5-cm

http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?0...agger-36-42-cm

http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?4...-39-7-cm-54-cm

http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?m...dagger-53-7-cm

Really nice dagger, congratulations!

Mefidk · 16th January 2021, 08:45 AM

Thank you Kuber & TVV - I will correctly label and display with pride then

Nice to find something good by accident.

Mefidk · 16th January 2021, 08:48 AM

and what a fantastic website WoDiMi has - thanks for linking to it.

Tim Simmons · 16th January 2021, 01:18 PM

What a collection!!!! I hope WoDiMi has thought about its preservation as a whole collection on his demise. To see it broken up would be a tragedy.

15th January 2021, 08:52 AM	#1
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	African dagger for ID Hi folks I just received this along with some 19C N.African swords. Its really quite a nice knife, and better quality than many I've seen. Its not something I know anything about - possibly Manding/Mali? Seems to have some age, but for all I know might be a standard tourist item. Any pointers so that I can write something sensible on the tag gratefully received. /Chris Attached Images

15th January 2021, 09:44 AM	#2
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Hi Chris, This is not a tourist item at all! It's a Mandingo dagger that you can find from Senegal to Ivory coast I guess. Very nice... The holes in the blade make me think that your dagger is connected somehow to Caboverde and Spanish influences. So probably a 19th c. dagger from the coast. Kubur

16th January 2021, 06:12 AM	#3
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,621	Kubur has already given you all the correct info. I can only add that a knife with a similar hilt is the first item shown in "Panga Na Visu", where Zirngibl identifies it as Mandingo based on the leatherwork and states that these are encountered from Senegal all the way to Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. A member of this forum, WoDiMi, who has an excellent site with pretty much any African weapon you can imagine, shows a few of these and also identifies them as Mandingo: http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?7...dagger-37-5-cm http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?0...agger-36-42-cm http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?4...-39-7-cm-54-cm http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?m...dagger-53-7-cm Really nice dagger, congratulations!

16th January 2021, 08:45 AM	#4
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Thank you Kuber & TVV - I will correctly label and display with pride then Nice to find something good by accident.

16th January 2021, 08:48 AM	#5
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	and what a fantastic website WoDiMi has - thanks for linking to it.

16th January 2021, 01:18 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	What a collection!!!! I hope WoDiMi has thought about its preservation as a whole collection on his demise. To see it broken up would be a tragedy.