Unusual Shotel

[Martin Lubojacky]

Exquisite blade !!!
As far as the handle is concerned, I think there are two possibilities - either made as it is as a gift for some of the Rases, or replacement /?/(two blades similiar to this (gilded) which I have seen had handles made of top grade reddish rhino horns...)
(Roanoa, I cannot read geez, but I often heard another, maybe liberal translation: "And Ethiopia reaches out its hands skywards" - which should be citation from

[Martin Lubojacky]

sorry - finger slipped on keyboard, so:
...which should be citation from the New Testament. Or is it totaly another woprding?)

[roanoa]

Hi Martin. The inscription is taken indeed from the Coptic Bible and could be read as "Ethiopia asks for God's help", "Ethiopia reaches out to God", "Ethiopia holds its hands up to God". Liberal translations, but meaning the same thing. I understand Haile Selassie closed his speech to the League of Nation protesting the Italian invasion of his country with these words.
The catalogues of Julius Voos and Eickhorn (both from Solingen) and of Wilkinson show that the blades, even the more fancy ones, were supplied without hilt and scabbard. I believe the hilt (mounted BACKWARD) is either a replacement or it was mounted at the factory on the "salesman sample" to better handle the blade. Fantastic piece, regardless.
Do you happen to have pictures of the shotels you refer too?

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Roanoa,
One of the blades is at home - in Prague, I do not have picture and unfortunately I will be there in half a year. Nevertheless this is not shotel - but Ethiopian saif with straight, Wilkinson blade. There ere still traces of gilding in etched design. Another one, in this case shotel, I saw in Ethiopia cca 15 years ago.

At home I have also gorade(shabola) with etched real partrait of young man, some peaople said it was young Haile Sellassie from his Harrar times, when he was cca 15 (?) years old. When I am back in Prague, I will post it.

[Tim Simmons]

I am probably way off but take a long hard look at the helmet on the head pommel knob. I may well be French. The winged sphinx is seems a hang over from the French exploits in Egypt. Look at the side view, the crest is an eagle. The face on view ie the beak is more stylised but it does have a snake in its mouth. I think that is most intesting considering French action in Mexico.

[Tim Simmons]

You can google "eagle eating snake imagery" but not much for "falcon eating snake imagery"

[Jim McDougall]

Truly remarkable piece. I would say that the hunting hanger style grip represents distinct European style for earlier court oriented weapons, and the neo-classical figure on the pommel suggests French hilting. I would say this is probably a diplomatically intended presentation or gift to a figure in important standing in Abyssinia. This high end piece might have to do with dealings during the Anglo Egyptian condominium and post Fashoda incident (1898) territorial disputes in these regions between that and France. The blade to me seems German. It is tempting to align the fluer de lis style in the quillons to France also.