Aljuinar takouba with unusual marking

[Jim McDougall]

This seems to be of the type hilt associated with takouba from Mandara people or near Cameroon?
The slightly curved blade with two fullers I thought might be European, but others similar could be native made.

The scabbard seems much like Tuareg types.

Most puzzling is the marking. It is an arc with dots at each end, sort of mindful of the astrological symbol for Leo. On a similar example of one of these there is a cross with dots at each arm terminus.

Any ideas on these markings, on the probable region this is from?

[Tim Simmons]

I had one of these, the same cured single edge blade but no fuller or stamped marks. A member has it or had it from me some years ago. Also the pommel was a leather ball in form.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Tim, it does seem these examples with takouba style hilt but with aljuinar (=curved_ blades occur mostly to the West African regions. It is really difficult to get good insights into these kinds of anomalies since Iain Norman has been away from posting here.

I had always thought that perhaps the curved blades were from European sources, particularly French of course due to their colonial presence in the Sahara in these areas. However I recall talking with a guy who had spent much time there (he was the source of this from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) who had examples with MOLE blades, from England of course.

This marking seems native, and with the spheres at the terminals of the arc, it seems to be of the style seen in the example of last image (from Iains group) with the same style mark as a cross with spheres at ends of arms.

The cross potent type symbol is well known in these contexts as having meanings re: the four cardinal directions, and symbolically meaning, universal in a sense.

Possibly the arc might be interpretation of the 'Genoan' sickle marks (?) but with only one arc, and the spheres referencing the dots usually at the ends of those (?).

A bit of a conundrum, but hoping someone else has encountered this type mark, and ideas on the meaning.

It does seem the ball pommel is a feature in those areas, as on the Manding saber from Mali.

[TVV]

Interesting takouba Jim, and you are probably correct that the marking is a symbol that once had a meaning to the Tuareg original owner. Alternatively, Iain had an interesting interpretation of half circle marks as symbolizing shackles:

http://iainnorman.com/articles-2/18

[fernando]

Originally Posted by TVV

... Alternatively, Iain had an interesting interpretation of half circle marks as symbolizing shackles:

http://iainnorman.com/articles-2/18

.
Good stuff; rather plausible .

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by TVV

Interesting takouba Jim, and you are probably correct that the marking is a symbol that once had a meaning to the Tuareg original owner. Alternatively, Iain had an interesting interpretation of half circle marks as symbolizing shackles:

http://iainnorman.com/articles-2/18

Thank you so much Teodor! and especially for the link to the brilliant writing of Iain Norman. His research on Saharan and West African edged weapons is the most thorough and well supported I have ever seen. I searched for over decade just to find the origins of the term 'kaskara' , and Iain was the one who found it.

As with most interpretations of the markings found on many native ethnographic weapons, it is virtually impossible to explain most empirically, but we can come to compelling plausibility with enough research.

The slaving element was of course abhorrent to western civilizations, but i these cultures those involved in this unfortunate commerce were quite proud of their status, wealth and power and such a symbol might well reflect same regardless if ill gotten.

There are numbers of symbolic markings and motif which have sometimes equally surprising representation in these native contexts.