Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Seeking translation assistance on African Kaskara blade

RSWORD · 7th June 2020, 10:32 PM

[QUOTE=Kubur]I wish to have it in my collection too

I agree with Kwiatek the date is too early for a sword of this type.

It's not the date of the sword but rather a commemorative date, please look at this forum you will see other examples with commemorative dates...

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date[/QUOT

It could be a commemorative date but typically these are found in conjunction with blades that couldn’t bear that date. Two of the three examples you share are typical late 19th century Mahdist blades with acid etched inscriptions. An 18th century dating would definitely not make sense on a blade of this style and quality. The other sword you reference only has a fuller for the first third of the blade and the inscriptions are poorly done plus the fly marking is fairly dateable. Again, an 18th century dating would not make sense.

On my example, the blade could be 18th century. The fuller which runs the full length of the blade on both sides is very precisely cut and the inscription is done with a high level of skill. You see this style of blade in the 18th century. So while I can’t say definitely that the date in the inscription is period I can say it is at least a possibility. The scabbard, handle, etc could and most likely are all later than the blade and I wouldn’t date the blade by those elements.

7th June 2020, 10:32 PM	#12
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,083	[QUOTE=Kubur]I wish to have it in my collection too I agree with Kwiatek the date is too early for a sword of this type. It's not the date of the sword but rather a commemorative date, please look at this forum you will see other examples with commemorative dates... http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...emorative+date[/QUOT It could be a commemorative date but typically these are found in conjunction with blades that couldn’t bear that date. Two of the three examples you share are typical late 19th century Mahdist blades with acid etched inscriptions. An 18th century dating would definitely not make sense on a blade of this style and quality. The other sword you reference only has a fuller for the first third of the blade and the inscriptions are poorly done plus the fly marking is fairly dateable. Again, an 18th century dating would not make sense. On my example, the blade could be 18th century. The fuller which runs the full length of the blade on both sides is very precisely cut and the inscription is done with a high level of skill. You see this style of blade in the 18th century. So while I can’t say definitely that the date in the inscription is period I can say it is at least a possibility. The scabbard, handle, etc could and most likely are all later than the blade and I wouldn’t date the blade by those elements.