Makers mark on 19th century 'star and comet' Kaskara blade

[Jim McDougall]

Ed,Thank you so much for this added detail, which brings so much more perspective to this dilemma, The article by Ms.Anderson is comprehensively outstanding, and thoroughly informative as augmented by the many important details extracted from your remarkable work on these topics.

In looking at the 'Funj' sword discussed, as noted it would seem that this is indeed an imported blade, most likely of course German. While many references seem to include Toledo and Italy as sources for blades, this in my opinion is hardly the case. Toledo had only resumed production of blades in the latter 18th century after its demise by the latter 17th and the minor centers in Spain were limited in production. Italy, while still producing blades, again was not exporting in any notable volume.
Solingen, and some other centers in S.Germany and Styria were the more likely blade sources.
In some references the double head eagle device (Austro-Hungarian) is noted on blades, of course along with the 'sickles' which while associated with Solingen, were well known in Styria. It is tempting to wonder if Slatin (the Austrian official in Darfur) might have facilitated importing blades from those sources.

It seems likely that the hilt, notably comparable to others of the Mahdist period, might have been added to an earlier blade as virtually regularly done.

With markings, while typically assumed to be regarded as inherent representations implying quality, it seems to me that in native perspective, these were more ofen seen as talismanic symbols imbuing magic in the blade.

It is known that the Mahdi was seen as possessing great magic, naturally through the religious prism rather in the Sufi sense. In studying the heavily etched blades of the Mahdiyya with thuluth inscriptions, these were often seen as unintelligible decoration, it is now known that these were repeated words and phrases from the Quran, often with invocations. These were meant to imbue the weapon with the Magic of the Mahdi.
This same concept is of course applied to many of these important Islamic swords, as discussed with those of Ali Dinar.

Many of the other interpreted European markings have simpler applied meanings such as the 'fly' used by Kull in Germany. In native parlance, the fly (duran) represented the agility of a warrior (jumps and aversive leaps are key in native swordsmanship).
The cross and orb were seen as drum and sticks, authoritative items in tribal parlance for leaders or officials.

In other cases, it seems when I was going through MacMichael ("Brands Used by Camel Owning Tribes of Kordofan", 1913) there was some reference for the potential of ancient Egyptian heiroglyphics having some iconic link to devices used in brands. Clearly more research there might prove interesting.

The fascination in these topics is compelling!


Correction: I thought is was MacMichael on the camel brands, but it was Arkell, "Tribes of the Sahara".
"...there are cattle brands connected with Darfur's earliest sultans, the Daju, that still survive in Darsila and can only be explained as having been originally Egyptian heiroglyphics". p.236.

This does not seem unlikely as the atavistic styling of a number of ancient forms of weapon and various other elements from Egypt have remained prevalent in Darfur, Sudan and other African kingdoms reflecting the Egyptian roots of many tribes.

Onward!

[jaxonrice]

@geoffrey Congratulations on your great purchases, I was wondering who got the other lots at the auction.

Thank you Ed and Jim for the very useful and insightful discussion, much appreciated indeed