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21st November 2023, 10:21 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 478
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Indeed it is! Nice scabbard, very colorful. Thanks for sharing this example!
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22nd November 2023, 05:36 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Posts: 82
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I also acquired the silver Berber sword in discussion. I would like to confirm that the pommel is slightly offset but very tight. One side is more noticeable than the other when looking at it straight on. It seems to be a common occurrence on these swords, and I have seen quite a few with twisted pommels. The blade is also very old, definitely European in origin and 18th century my guess. However, there are no stampings or maker’s mark at least on the blade, the tang has not been checked.
I would like to post more pictures of the two hilt sides as they consist of some interesting iconology. One side, there is a camel under a crescent moon. The reverse, a fish and rooster. A quick google search states that the fish is a protective symbol to ward off the evil eye. The camel is a symbol of wealth and prestige, and the rooster promotes fertility. Can anyone confirm or elaborate on the meaning or symbolism of these motifs? There are also a few circular stamps on the silver hilt. Though none of these show an entirely clean stamp, I photographed the best preserved one. Could this be a stamp of the maker? City? A seal of the Ottoman regency of Tunis or Tripolitania? I know that it is hard to decipher but any clues could help narrow the mystery. I will try to further look at all the stampings and try to piece the legible parts together. -Geoffrey |
28th November 2023, 12:28 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,616
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Congratulations, this is a really nice sword and it is nice to see it acquired by someone on the forum, and even nicer of you to share detailed pictures. In his book on edged weapons from Morocco and Algeria Eric Claude shows similar stamps on koummayas, which indicate the place of manufacturing. Since they seem to only exist on silver encased daggers, I suspect they also served as hallmarks for silver content.
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14th December 2023, 07:34 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: France
Posts: 176
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That's a very interesting thread on those intriguing swords!
To me that stamp definitely looks like a Libyan hallmark, you could try posting it on : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1033...413/?ref=share, there is some very knowledgeable people on North-African jewelry. |
1st February 2024, 12:53 PM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 478
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I'll add this recently sold Tunisian nimcha here (not mine) since it is interesting and has a scabbard with a very similar aesthetic.
Seller's description: Quote:
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1st February 2024, 04:59 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,616
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To me this looks like a sword that was a Berber saber, but which had the original hilt replaced by a nimcha like hilt in more modern times. The fittings that are "embellishing" the scabbard are of brass sheet and to be fair, of pretty low quality. The guard is also quite crude, made of two pieces of brass. It is hard to tell with absolute certainty, but to me this just does not look right and I suspect a much more recent attempt at "enhancing" the sword, rather than a 19th century hybrid.
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1st February 2024, 06:32 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,169
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I agree with Tvv.
The guard construction is not like any Nimcha I've seen. Indeed, 'rustic'. The embellishments look fairly well-made, tho. Definitely a NLO. (Nimcha-Like Object) Or as the Auction Houses are fond of saying "in the style of a nimcha". Last edited by kronckew; 1st February 2024 at 07:24 PM. |
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