Curious Tuareg "Telek Dagger?"

Martin Lubojacky · 7th December 2012, 02:00 PM

Welcome figs999.

I personally consider this as a "belt dagger made by Tuaregs", and I am not sure this could be called Telek (like classical forearm dagger ?!?). I am of the opinion this is contemporary dagger,very often sold to tourists, which does not take from significance or relevance/importance of this dagger and this kind of daggers generally. I saw many such daggers in Sahara from Ghadames to Ghat (Azjer tuaregs ??) - just because I did not visit other parts of Sahara, so very probaly you could find this on another places, too, and some sources assign them to Niger, Woodabe people etc.). This size is relatively common, too, but smaller size is more ordinary.
Regards,
Martin

VANDOO · 7th December 2012, 02:13 PM

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=tureg

WELCOME TO THE FORUM,

HERE IS A LINK TO A OLD POST ON THESE AND A RANGE OF VARIOUS FORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TUREG. MOST OF THE ONES SEEN THESE DAYS IN MOROCCO ARE SIMULAR TO THE FIRST EXAMPLE IN THE LINK.
YOUR EXAMPLE IS LARGER THAN WHAT IS USUALLY SEEN IN MOROCCO AND APPEARS TO BE OLDER THAN THE ONES NORMALLY FOUND IN MOROCCO AS WELL AS BEING A BIT DIFFERENT IN FORM AND WITH LESS BLING. THIS MAKES ME THINK IT WAS LESS LIKELY MADE FOR TOURISTS BUT FOR LOCAL USE. I LIKE IT.

Iain · 8th December 2012, 12:20 PM

As Martin and Vandoo have already written - these are contemporary form. I would also not consider it a telek - the traditional arm dagger of the Tuareg.

That does not mean they are not well made an interesting.

Yours is a nice example.

Andy Stevens · 8th December 2012, 01:05 PM

Hello all,
There's been a big increase in the ammount of these daggers and the modern all leather covered Tuareg swords-these look rather more Klingon with lots of eyelash marks on the blades-of late at the major antique fairs here in the UK. They seem to sell as original old weapons. Maybe somebody is importing them wholesale, a bit like the Congonese masks that appear in droves nowadays.

Iain · 8th December 2012, 01:57 PM

Hi Andy, that's certainly possible. Tuareg leather and metal goods (jewelry etc.) I guess is imported, why not the knives.

This link might be interesting - some of the Senegal knife styles seem to share characteristics with the materials and geometric shapes seen in these Tuareg pieces.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore...d/daggers.aspx

Andy Stevens · 8th December 2012, 02:43 PM

Interesting link Iain, a very nice type of dagger, decorative and eye catching. Regarding Tuareg items, there has certainly been an increase in the modern Takoubas in the UK, perhaps due to tourism but I suspect there is a strong market for importers to exploit, after all, ethnic jewelry is I think I'm right in saying, rather popular at the moment and North African designs are very attractive.

Iain · 8th December 2012, 04:05 PM

Hi Andy,

I've seen them imported by various places that specialize on the modern craft side of things - probably doesn't take much for them to drift into the antique markets as swords tend to be assumed to be old.

I would imagine the flow will slow down a bit in the next year due to the general unrest in the areas where these would still be produced. Despite these newer items not being of much interest to me personally, it would be a pity I think for the craft to die out.

7th December 2012, 02:00 PM	#1
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 843	Welcome figs999. I personally consider this as a "belt dagger made by Tuaregs", and I am not sure this could be called Telek (like classical forearm dagger ?!?). I am of the opinion this is contemporary dagger,very often sold to tourists, which does not take from significance or relevance/importance of this dagger and this kind of daggers generally. I saw many such daggers in Sahara from Ghadames to Ghat (Azjer tuaregs ??) - just because I did not visit other parts of Sahara, so very probaly you could find this on another places, too, and some sources assign them to Niger, Woodabe people etc.). This size is relatively common, too, but smaller size is more ordinary. Regards, Martin

7th December 2012, 02:13 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=tureg WELCOME TO THE FORUM, HERE IS A LINK TO A OLD POST ON THESE AND A RANGE OF VARIOUS FORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TUREG. MOST OF THE ONES SEEN THESE DAYS IN MOROCCO ARE SIMULAR TO THE FIRST EXAMPLE IN THE LINK. YOUR EXAMPLE IS LARGER THAN WHAT IS USUALLY SEEN IN MOROCCO AND APPEARS TO BE OLDER THAN THE ONES NORMALLY FOUND IN MOROCCO AS WELL AS BEING A BIT DIFFERENT IN FORM AND WITH LESS BLING. THIS MAKES ME THINK IT WAS LESS LIKELY MADE FOR TOURISTS BUT FOR LOCAL USE. I LIKE IT.

8th December 2012, 12:20 PM	#3
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,717	As Martin and Vandoo have already written - these are contemporary form. I would also not consider it a telek - the traditional arm dagger of the Tuareg. That does not mean they are not well made an interesting. Yours is a nice example.

8th December 2012, 01:05 PM	#4
Andy Stevens Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 155	Hello all, There's been a big increase in the ammount of these daggers and the modern all leather covered Tuareg swords-these look rather more Klingon with lots of eyelash marks on the blades-of late at the major antique fairs here in the UK. They seem to sell as original old weapons. Maybe somebody is importing them wholesale, a bit like the Congonese masks that appear in droves nowadays.

8th December 2012, 01:57 PM	#5
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,717	Hi Andy, that's certainly possible. Tuareg leather and metal goods (jewelry etc.) I guess is imported, why not the knives. This link might be interesting - some of the Senegal knife styles seem to share characteristics with the materials and geometric shapes seen in these Tuareg pieces. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore...d/daggers.aspx

8th December 2012, 02:43 PM	#6
Andy Stevens Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 155	Interesting link Iain, a very nice type of dagger, decorative and eye catching. Regarding Tuareg items, there has certainly been an increase in the modern Takoubas in the UK, perhaps due to tourism but I suspect there is a strong market for importers to exploit, after all, ethnic jewelry is I think I'm right in saying, rather popular at the moment and North African designs are very attractive.

8th December 2012, 04:05 PM	#7
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,717	Hi Andy, I've seen them imported by various places that specialize on the modern craft side of things - probably doesn't take much for them to drift into the antique markets as swords tend to be assumed to be old. I would imagine the flow will slow down a bit in the next year due to the general unrest in the areas where these would still be produced. Despite these newer items not being of much interest to me personally, it would be a pity I think for the craft to die out.