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23rd July 2015, 04:11 PM
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#1 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Dahomey Hwi
Hi everyone,
I have what I believe to be a Dahomey Hwi which has been forged from what I believe to have been a French 19C infantry sabre. Your opinions would be welcome. The overall length is 22.75 ins with a blade length of 17.5 ins. Miguel |
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23rd July 2015, 05:04 PM
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#2 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,807
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Very cool. Looks like a coverted French bayonet or shortsword of some kind.
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26th July 2015, 03:22 PM
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#3 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
Miguel |
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23rd July 2015, 05:30 PM
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#4 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,145
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Hi Miguel,
It's a super cool stuff! You have a converted French briquet, infantry short sword. Now i don't know if it's a late 18th or 19th c. model. The other members will tell you. But you have the infantry unit engraved on the guard, so basically you will trace the whole history of this sword! Congratulations Kubur |
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24th July 2015, 12:54 AM
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#5 |
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EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,219
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What an interesting piece. Thanks for posting this.
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24th July 2015, 04:20 AM
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#6 |
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Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,945
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A truly amazing hybrid Miguel, thank you for bringing it in here!
It has been a long time since we have discussed these Dahomean hwi it seems, and for those interested in further reading on them, Christopher Spring in "African Arms and Armour" has a good section about them. He uses plates and data from "Sabres Decores du Dahomey" Montserrat Palau Marti Objets et Mondes, VII:4, 1967 These fascinating ceremonial blades on these hwi reflect the tribal animist traditions and often facets of the West African Vodun religion. This does appear to be a French briquette sword as noted by Kubur, and these were around latter 18th century, well into the 19th. They were replaced my a gladius type sword M1831 but both seem concurrent in 1830s. The hilt on this one seems likely 2nd Empire c.1854+ While the French did not colonize Dahomey until 1872, I have researched hwi which were collected there c 1856 by French officers. Fascinating example reflecting the Dahoman traditions coupled with French colonial situations, and great historical possibilities, |
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24th July 2015, 09:39 AM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Czech Republic
Posts: 841
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As Jim already said: Fascinating example.
Congratulations Martin |
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26th July 2015, 03:53 PM
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#8 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
Thanks for your interest. Regards Miguel |
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26th July 2015, 03:50 PM
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#9 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
I am really pleased that you like it. I have a copy of Christopher Stone`s book, in fact his article was what lead me to believing it was a Hwi, further research led me to thinking it was made from a French sabre but I have not yet been able to discover which dignitary carried it and what office, if any, did it represent, military or civil, still a lot of work to do. Thanks again for your comments. Regards Miguel |
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26th July 2015, 03:33 PM
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#10 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
You are very welcome. Regards Miguel |
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26th July 2015, 03:29 PM
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#11 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
Thanks for the info, can you suggest to me the best place to start trying to track down the history of this sabre. Many thanks Miguel |
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28th July 2015, 11:00 AM
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#12 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,145
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Quote:
I suggest to see the Briquet model 1856-57, used by the "tirailleurs senegalais". They were not only from Senegal but from all West Africa. I guess one of them bring it back to Dahomey. Have you seen that they cut one branch of the guard? Best, Kubur |
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28th July 2015, 09:08 PM
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#13 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
Thanks for your suggestion, an interesting theory. I had noted that they had removed the knuckle guard, I think that this was to provide a balance wit the down turned quillon. Regards Miguel |
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24th July 2015, 01:22 PM
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#14 |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,430
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Very interesting cross-cultural piece - I like it.
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26th July 2015, 03:57 PM
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#15 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
I am glad that you like it, thanks for your interest. Regards Miguel |
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27th July 2015, 10:24 AM
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#16 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: AUCKLAND,NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 624
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THATS A GREAT LOOKING WEAPON,SO MARRIAGE OF FRENCH AND ???
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28th July 2015, 08:58 AM
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#17 | |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,712
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Absolutely fascinating! Beautiful!
If possible to tell, Is the blade re.forged from the original or replaced? Spiral ps Quote:
linky... |
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28th July 2015, 08:52 PM
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#18 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
I am fairly certain that the blade was forged from the original. Regards Miguel |
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28th July 2015, 08:46 PM
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#19 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 584
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Quote:
Thanks for your comments. Dahomey was West African kingdom ruled by a king and almost continually at war with it`s neighbours. It had an army of Amazons, the elite of which, who also served as the king`s bodyguard. It no longer exists but would have been in Benin Nigeria. Regards Miguel |
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