Kaskara thoughts, please.

ariel · 21st September 2019, 03:41 PM

It is virtually identical to mine that was discussed 3 months ago:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/search...archid=1618625

Funny, but I have already mentioned at that time what appears to be the very same kaskara that was acquired by mross and shown in this thread:-)

At the end of the day, many of our objects have " six degrees of separation"

Edster · 21st September 2019, 07:27 PM

Jim,

I finally found my Pallme (1837-39) notes. He mentions (p.298) the two-edge swords of Austrian manufacture with, as you observe, lion and cross & orb. Locals prefer blades with a death's head from the workshops of Peter Kull. He also lists other items of commerce from Austria. Bezdek lists Peter Kull's cat & skull active 1830-1870.

I get the impression from remembering the kaskara shared by forum members are heavily skewed toward Kull marks. This suggests that many blades were imported into Sudan in mid-19th c. (It would be interesting survey/create a database of all the forum kaskara plus museum collections, etc. (imported & presumed locally made). This may allow us to establish which makers were highly represented and that they may have purposefully manufactured for the Sudanese market.)

In my kaskara cross guard essay (.pdf version) I do a Summary with Historical Notes (p. 17ff) of travelers narratives that mention the import of sword blades and their qualities, etc.. Brown's 1792-98 appears to be the oldest reference. Burchardt (1811-12) says that 3,000/year are imported. This and the other references supports your observation that there was substantial market for European blades in the Sudanese contex.

Other research entries since that paper went to press are below. No doubt your research would add much to the chronology.

1822-1824. Dixon Denham & Hugh Clapperton's Narrative of Travels & Discoveries in Northern & Central Africa, pub. 1828. Clapperton while in Bornou reports on a body of cavalry armed with straight broad blades “formerly wielded by the knights of Malta.” They were imported via Tripoli and re-mounted in Kano for use throughout central Africa.

Edward Lane in Description of Egypt, 1828 lists among an inventory of goods exported from Asyut to Darfur: straight sword-blades of German manufacturer, a few firearms, and a little gunpowder, p. 267-268. Reference graciously provided by Terence Walz.

1859-1860. Robert Hartman reports in The Journey of Baron Adelbert von Barinim Through North East Africa. In Cairo bazaars; old & new weapons, rifles, pistols, sabres, yataghans, daggers, battle axes, maces & lances, p. 59. The annual caravan from Siut (Asyut in Upper Egypt) to Darfur shipped “some straight heavy blades, Arabian muskets, pistols and sabres, p.60.

Mross/Ariel

I found another kaskara very much like yours from Royal Armouries, XXVIS.204 with copper cat/lion and cross & orb. No fly was mentioned. As Jim observes, there seems to be a large family of these blades.
https://collections.royalarmouries.o...ject-9627.html

Best,
Ed

Jim McDougall · 21st September 2019, 10:44 PM

Thank you so much Ed, excellent insight of course, and thank you for adding a list of resources. I cannot find my Pallme at the moment, and was relying on my scribbled notes!
It is interesting that Austria was listed as the source for these rampant lion and cross and orb blades I think the source I had which I was thinking of, but have yet to find, is the Slatin book. As he was of the Austrian contingent and in fact in official capacity in Darfur, I think the assumption was these were Austrian blades. The mention of the Mahdi's personal sword having a blade with the Holy Roman double head eagle and Vivat Carolus much added to such presumption.

It seems that while there a good number of cross and orb, rampant lion and typically stamped fly marks which are Kull blades, I have yet to see one with the deaths head. The absence of the fly stamp adds to the presumption that these copper filled lion/cross +orb blades must have been prepared at some entrepot after arrival from European trade sources. The blades without the fly or makers stamp were likely 'blanks' which may have been produced by auxiliary shops in Solingen to augment the orders of blades for export.

21st September 2019, 03:41 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	It is virtually identical to mine that was discussed 3 months ago: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/search...archid=1618625 Funny, but I have already mentioned at that time what appears to be the very same kaskara that was acquired by mross and shown in this thread:-) At the end of the day, many of our objects have " six degrees of separation"

21st September 2019, 07:27 PM	#2
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 415	Jim, I finally found my Pallme (1837-39) notes. He mentions (p.298) the two-edge swords of Austrian manufacture with, as you observe, lion and cross & orb. Locals prefer blades with a death's head from the workshops of Peter Kull. He also lists other items of commerce from Austria. Bezdek lists Peter Kull's cat & skull active 1830-1870. I get the impression from remembering the kaskara shared by forum members are heavily skewed toward Kull marks. This suggests that many blades were imported into Sudan in mid-19th c. (It would be interesting survey/create a database of all the forum kaskara plus museum collections, etc. (imported & presumed locally made). This may allow us to establish which makers were highly represented and that they may have purposefully manufactured for the Sudanese market.) In my kaskara cross guard essay (.pdf version) I do a Summary with Historical Notes (p. 17ff) of travelers narratives that mention the import of sword blades and their qualities, etc.. Brown's 1792-98 appears to be the oldest reference. Burchardt (1811-12) says that 3,000/year are imported. This and the other references supports your observation that there was substantial market for European blades in the Sudanese contex. Other research entries since that paper went to press are below. No doubt your research would add much to the chronology. 1822-1824. Dixon Denham & Hugh Clapperton's Narrative of Travels & Discoveries in Northern & Central Africa, pub. 1828. Clapperton while in Bornou reports on a body of cavalry armed with straight broad blades “formerly wielded by the knights of Malta.” They were imported via Tripoli and re-mounted in Kano for use throughout central Africa. Edward Lane in Description of Egypt, 1828 lists among an inventory of goods exported from Asyut to Darfur: straight sword-blades of German manufacturer, a few firearms, and a little gunpowder, p. 267-268. Reference graciously provided by Terence Walz. 1859-1860. Robert Hartman reports in The Journey of Baron Adelbert von Barinim Through North East Africa. In Cairo bazaars; old & new weapons, rifles, pistols, sabres, yataghans, daggers, battle axes, maces & lances, p. 59. The annual caravan from Siut (Asyut in Upper Egypt) to Darfur shipped “some straight heavy blades, Arabian muskets, pistols and sabres, p.60. Mross/Ariel I found another kaskara very much like yours from Royal Armouries, XXVIS.204 with copper cat/lion and cross & orb. No fly was mentioned. As Jim observes, there seems to be a large family of these blades. https://collections.royalarmouries.o...ject-9627.html Best, Ed

21st September 2019, 10:44 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,284	Thank you so much Ed, excellent insight of course, and thank you for adding a list of resources. I cannot find my Pallme at the moment, and was relying on my scribbled notes! It is interesting that Austria was listed as the source for these rampant lion and cross and orb blades I think the source I had which I was thinking of, but have yet to find, is the Slatin book. As he was of the Austrian contingent and in fact in official capacity in Darfur, I think the assumption was these were Austrian blades. The mention of the Mahdi's personal sword having a blade with the Holy Roman double head eagle and Vivat Carolus much added to such presumption. It seems that while there a good number of cross and orb, rampant lion and typically stamped fly marks which are Kull blades, I have yet to see one with the deaths head. The absence of the fly stamp adds to the presumption that these copper filled lion/cross +orb blades must have been prepared at some entrepot after arrival from European trade sources. The blades without the fly or makers stamp were likely 'blanks' which may have been produced by auxiliary shops in Solingen to augment the orders of blades for export.