Sudanese shamshir? anomaly

[Jim McDougall]

This is a saber which seems to correspond to Sudanese character with kaskara like langet, but the terminals on the guard of course seem Ottoman. The 'pistol grip 'of bulbous form as with Ottoman kilij/pala.

The diamond cross hatch is similar to these patterns on Darfur kaskara hilts of Ali Dinar period, and there were glass type festoons inserted at one time in each lozenge.

The flared scabbard tip is of course as found on kaskaras, but we see this feature of course on the sabers in Mali. The curved blade swords of takouba form in the Sahara are termed aljuinar, but do not have this feature.

Would appreciate any ideas.

[TVV]

Very interesting find Jim, thank you for sharing. To me it does indeed look like a Sudanese interpretation of a shamshir with an Ottoman style hilt. We know such swords were quite popular in Egypt prior Muhammad Ali's destruction of the mamelukes in 1811. Some of the mamelukes in fact escaped South to Dongola, with the sultan of Sennar helpless to do much about them until they were finally wiped out in Muhammad Ali's conquest of Sudan. These mamelukes certainly brought a good number of swords with them, so there would have been examples for local artisans to copy. Alternatively, Muhammad Ali's invasion force consisted mostly of Turks and Albanians from the original army with which he went to Egypt, and many must have carried Ottoman hilted shamshirs with them as well. It is not hard to imagine a situation in which a shamshir blade needed new fittings and local craftsmen did their best to copy the original hilt form, while decorating in their own way.

[Battara]

I love the repousse work on the hilt and scabbard mounts. Nicely done. Not used to seeing this quality of work on Sudanese pieces.

[Edster]

Interesting sword, Jim. The heptagram (7-pointed star on the pommel is unique for me. It has symbolic meaning in all three Abrahamic religions as per Wiki below:
"*The heptagram was used in Christianity to symbolize the seven days of creation and became a traditional symbol for warding off evil. The symbol is used in some Christian branches such as Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity.
*The symbol is also used in Kabbalist Judaism.
*In Islam, the heptagram is used to represent the first seven verses in the Quran."

The blade looks flat with no details as if it may be sheet metal; surely not.

Best,
Ed

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks very much guys! I've had this for a very long time, but never adequately researched it. The blade I think someone said was Turkish 'bayez'? or some such form of Ottoman watered steel...I am a complete neanderthal at metallurgy, so cannot recall and cannot get more images of blade yet.

Teodor, spot on with the Mamluks into Sennar, and while they were effectively ended in degree by the Egyptian sultan, the Mamluk culture through descendants prevailed there as traders and artisans. I think this is where the notable convention of thuluth on blades and metalwork came from in the Caliphate before Omdurman as this was a Mamluk tradition.

As far as I have known, this is the only example of this kind of Sudanese 'saber', and would be thrilled to know of any other examples or supporting literature.
We know that Tuaregs who were of course keen on broadswords, did have curved blade sabers termed aljuinar (per Lee Jones )but this seems compellingly Sudanese.

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks Ed, we crossed posts. No it is definitely not sheet, and there is some sort of activity in the steel. I will try to get pics, but as I note, when it was examined some years ago it was noted as some form of Turkish pattern.

Thank you for the info on the heptagram. This type of star has also been seen on the hilts of some Murid shashkas from Daghestan and Chechnya.

[Edster]

Jim,

I looked at the Summary of Historical Notes portion of my Kaskara Crossguards paper and found a couple of saber use notes.
1. 1700-1702 Father Krump observed sabers used by Funj horse & camel cavalry.
2. In a version of the Notes I found El Tounsy's "Voyage to Wadai" (1851) an observation that only the Sultan can use a scimitar and that sabres were imported from Fezzan (now Libya), but soldiers used swords. He also notes the leaf shaped scabbard of the Mandinka were used there. This full text didn't get into the final essay version.

It seems that complete swords and saber were imported in the early 1700s and sabers were only used by the elite. By 1800 sword blades were being imported from Germany and over time replaces the saber even among the elite. Sabers still in use in Wadai area as imports came from Libya rather than Cairo for the Nile Valley.

This may suggest that your saber originated in Wadai/Darfur area.

Best,
Ed

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Edster

Jim,

I looked at the Summary of Historical Notes portion of my Kaskara Crossguards paper and found a couple of saber use notes.
1. 1700-1702 Father Krump observed sabers used by Funj horse & camel cavalry.
2. In a version of the Notes I found El Tounsy's "Voyage to Wadai" (1851) an observation that only the Sultan can use a scimitar and that sabres were imported from Fezzan (now Libya), but soldiers used swords. He also notes the leaf shaped scabbard of the Mandinka were used there. This full text didn't get into the final essay version.

It seems that complete swords and saber were imported in the early 1700s and sabers were only used by the elite. By 1800 sword blades were being imported from Germany and over time replaces the saber even among the elite. Sabers still in use in Wadai area as imports came from Libya rather than Cairo for the Nile Valley.

This may suggest that your saber originated in Wadai/Darfur area.

Best,
Ed

That is amazing Ed!! thank you so much. I would not have imagined that well heeled status and thought this might be some ceremonial one off. It does make sense coming from Libya with the Ottoman type steel in the blade.

[Edster]

El Tounsy's trip was 1803-1810, but wasn't translated into English until 1845 and published in two parts in 1851 & 1854. That could place your sword earlier in the Fezzan trade market.

[TVV]

Here is a shamshir from Gavin Nugent's sold items, which based on the python(?) skin cover on the scabbard appears to have been used in an African, most likely Sudanese context at some point. Persian arms were imported and imitated in Sudan, but as discussed German imported blades were preferred, probably because of the ratio of cost to quality.

[Richard G]

This is purely speculation, but could it simply be an Ottoman (Egyptian or Hejaz) shamshir that has found its way south and has been 'sudanised' to local taste.
I would really like to know what is under that bulbous brass encased hilt. Is there any way of finding out?
It could be a pleasant surprise.
Regards
Richard

[CharlesS]

Great piece Jim!

Here are some curved examples I had posted some time ago, but yours is more along the lines of a much more Ottoman-influenced sword.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...curved+kaskara

[Jim McDougall]

Wow Charles!! Forgot those! THAT firmly places this in Sudan along with those great examples, thank you so much, and its great hearing from you.
Richard, Teodor and Ed, thank you guys.
Great input and great to have all these insights.
It seems the Sudanese had a far greater scope of variations on the kaskara than I had realized.
Richard,
I dont have access to this sword right now, but would hesitate to dismantle the hilt. What would be possibly inside?

[Edster]

Jim,

The scabbards shape for both your & CharlesS sabers are virtually identical including the reptile skin of the strap attachments. Also, the diamond motifs on both grips and the dress on your scabbard (raised diamonds) are inverse kin to the same motif on many later kaskara including those from Ali Dinar's workshop (raised center with dot). I discuss the diamond motif in my Kaskara in Silver Dress paper.

Best,
Ed

[Richard G]

Jim,
This one, I believe, has a rhino horn hilt, (and a blade with etched thuluth script!)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=349
I wonder if yours has a rhino horn hilt beneath the brass covering.
Regards
Richard

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Richard G

Jim,
This one, I believe, has a rhino horn hilt, (and a blade with etched thuluth script!)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=349
I wonder if yours has a rhino horn hilt beneath the brass covering.
Regards
Richard

I see what you mean Richard, possible just a covering over the rhino Ottoman hilt. I have never taken apart one of my swords, so probably would not on this. It is an interesting suggestion though, and might have been done to add the embellishment.