Zanzibar Sword

Jim McDougall · 27th November 2016, 04:21 PM

This is truly an amazing example of Maghrebi dagger which is really usually more of a dirk and termed, as noted s'boula (Buttin, 1933,1939).
What prompted these being classified as Zanzibari was the Burton reference in "Book of the Sword", where one of these is shown in a plate with an Omani broadsword (termed 'kattara').
This pairing was clearly lifted from a reference in "Arms& Armour" by Auguste Demmin (1877), and the instance was noted by Charles Buttin in his 1933 catalog, as well as stating the sword of the type shown in OP as a Moroccan s'boula.

It is most interesting that both of these weapon forms became known in degree as 'Zanzibari', but the Omani sword was the most qualified to carry that term as much of their origin actually was focused in this Omani Sultanate.
The 'H' type hilt dirks known as s'boula were primarily Moroccan but certainly well known across the Maghreb, as well as diffused throughout the routes across the Sahara into trade entrepots in Ethiopia. At one point these were even suggested as being Ethiopian swords from examples found with Amharic script on the blades, but these were incidental examples which had come in as noted via trade routes. As noted by Ariel, the Falashas were Jewish tribes in Ethiopia, who were known armourers to the royal court there.

From these Ethiopian regions, these found exchange with trade coming from Zanzibar and returning, eventually becoming well known in Zanzibar.

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27th November 2016, 04:21 PM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,289	This is truly an amazing example of Maghrebi dagger which is really usually more of a dirk and termed, as noted s'boula (Buttin, 1933,1939). What prompted these being classified as Zanzibari was the Burton reference in "Book of the Sword", where one of these is shown in a plate with an Omani broadsword (termed 'kattara'). This pairing was clearly lifted from a reference in "Arms& Armour" by Auguste Demmin (1877), and the instance was noted by Charles Buttin in his 1933 catalog, as well as stating the sword of the type shown in OP as a Moroccan s'boula. It is most interesting that both of these weapon forms became known in degree as 'Zanzibari', but the Omani sword was the most qualified to carry that term as much of their origin actually was focused in this Omani Sultanate. The 'H' type hilt dirks known as s'boula were primarily Moroccan but certainly well known across the Maghreb, as well as diffused throughout the routes across the Sahara into trade entrepots in Ethiopia. At one point these were even suggested as being Ethiopian swords from examples found with Amharic script on the blades, but these were incidental examples which had come in as noted via trade routes. As noted by Ariel, the Falashas were Jewish tribes in Ethiopia, who were known armourers to the royal court there. From these Ethiopian regions, these found exchange with trade coming from Zanzibar and returning, eventually becoming well known in Zanzibar.