Lew Waldman's Ethnographic Arms & Armour Collection Archive


1143 - East African Sudanese Dagger with Sheath

This dagger features a straight double edged blade measuring 6 3/8 inches (16.2 cm) in length. The blade features a low central rib slightly offset to one side that fades in prominence towards the acute point. The flats of the blade have engraved inscriptions on each side along with motifs formed by curving lines. Wide coarsely ground bevels form the edge. The blade shows many dark patches, some associated with mild pitting. A dark wooden hilt is flattened in cross-section beside the base of the blade (where there is an old closed crack leading to mid grip) and transitions to a round cross section towards its center where there is decoration by means of annular rings before the hilt swells out to form a round pommel. An old Ottoman copper coin has been used as a tang washer. The dagger measures 10¼ inches (25.8 cm) in overall length and weighs just over 3.9 ounces (110 grams). The knife is accompanied by an old brown leather-over-wooden-core sheath in poor condition that has reptilian leather trim and an attached braided leather arm ring. The wood is broken on one side near the mouth of the sheath and the leather covering is cracked and split with some losses; a piece of tape appears to have been used to make a repair on one side. The sheath also appears to have shrunken so that the blade will not be fully covered when inserted. Sheathed, the length is 11½ inches (29.2 cm) with a weight of 5¼ ounces (150 grams).


East African Sudanese Dagger with Sheath

East African Sudanese Dagger with Sheath

East African Sudanese Dagger with Sheath

East African Sudanese Dagger with Sheath

Ottoman coin tang washer on East African Sudanese Dagger



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