THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOROCCAN AND A ZANZIBARI NIMCHA.

[kronckew]

the french and other countries were also fond of carrying them on baldrics. rapiers were not the light fencing foils or epees you see in old films, they were as heavy as many other sword types. a baldric puts the weight more comfortably on the shoulder. both belt and baldric types were used on horse, with the rapiers and wider bladed versions favoured by the military of the day.

i've always found it odd that many rapier carrying arrangements had a strap running diagonally from the front of the sword frog to a mount on the other side of the belt buckle across your crotch. an affectation not found on arabian sword hangers, or later european ones for that matter. 'the town guard' and 'graf pappenheim' included for illustration.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

... i've always found it odd that many rapier carrying arrangements had a strap running diagonally from the front of the sword frog to a mount on the other side of the belt buckle across your crotch...

Wasn't that to prevent your carrier from falling back, so that when you seat it conflicts with your back section ... or your horse croup ?


.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by fernando

Wasn't that to prevent your carrier from falling back, so that when you seat it conflicts with your back section ... or your horse croup ?


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ah, the X'd strap is the continuation of the broader strap from the forked scabbard bucklings over the shoulder and then thinning down to it's own adjustment buckle and thin strap till it rejoins the buckled area - see the 'french' baldric in the sketch. (i fell into the same trap initially .) the belted versions in the othe three panels of the sketch show the belt with the buckle and two support brasses with loops. the main leather buckled frog bit hooks to the one on your left side, a smaller strap continues from the front of this frog to the hooking place on the right side of the belt buckle - except for the german style one which is on the left. some illustrations to help on the belted ones, museum display and an antique belt, and a portrait with a similar belt. (the white blotch looks like a piece of adhesive tape defacing the painting.)

i suspect that it's to keep the hilt up, as the balance is so close to the front it has a tendency to seesaw down w/o the strap as you move . the german style with it's attachment on the same side of the main buckle as the other makes more sense tho. maybe 'cus i'm germanic myself , it does seem to be more horse friendly (see graf above). you only have one buckle to undo to take off the german one, the others you need to unbuckle and unhook the front strap. german efficiency.

the Tbourida riders as i mentioned above carry their nimchas on a baldric with the hilt down and the pointy end angled UP sticking above their shoulders to suit their way of drawing the sword. different strokes for different folks. with the baldric, dismounted they can adjust that to suit more easily than the european carry methods.

[fernando]

What a comprehensive approach, Wayne .
Still a pity my shorter version, much easier to digest , not being (necessarily) correct .
... All in all this is a shceme to prevent the sword carrier from foooling around, right ?

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by fernando

What a comprehensive approach, Wayne .
Still a pity my shorter version, much easier to digest , not being (necessarily) correct .
... All in all this is a shceme to prevent the sword carrier from foooling around, right ?

correct.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Artwork. THE MOROCCAN NIMCHA.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

What is this? Not to be amazed at what can come out of India ... I thought this has to be recorded ... It is claimed as Indian 17th Century... Photographed at the San Diego Museum of Art in San Diego, California. Comments please?

As an afternote I add that in Diverse arms Orientals plate 32 Butin there are several Horse heads with what could be called ears. In addition there was a sword of Tipu Sultan with similar hilt. See http://www.tessier-sarrou.com/html/f...rdre=&aff=5&r= and below

The finial at the end of the knuckleguard on the Indian item ends in a bud whereas on the Zanzibari Ivory piece it is a geometric dragon with RR almost as a monogram with fowers and dots engraved. The Knuckleguard however follows the contours of the horses face in both.

The quality of craftsmen in the Indian Ocean basin was excellent as seen by the Ivory carved hilt and by ivory combs executed in exacting detail. Thus the Indian version is viewed perhaps as a hybrid of top class artesanship in the general region.