Aljuinar takouba with unusual marking

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by TVV

Interesting takouba Jim, and you are probably correct that the marking is a symbol that once had a meaning to the Tuareg original owner. Alternatively, Iain had an interesting interpretation of half circle marks as symbolizing shackles:

http://iainnorman.com/articles-2/18

Thank you so much Teodor! and especially for the link to the brilliant writing of Iain Norman. His research on Saharan and West African edged weapons is the most thorough and well supported I have ever seen. I searched for over decade just to find the origins of the term 'kaskara' , and Iain was the one who found it.

As with most interpretations of the markings found on many native ethnographic weapons, it is virtually impossible to explain most empirically, but we can come to compelling plausibility with enough research.

The slaving element was of course abhorrent to western civilizations, but i these cultures those involved in this unfortunate commerce were quite proud of their status, wealth and power and such a symbol might well reflect same regardless if ill gotten.

There are numbers of symbolic markings and motif which have sometimes equally surprising representation in these native contexts.