Silver Hilted Kaskara

[TVV]

Here is an unusual kaskara for comments. The hilt is thinner than typical, and fully encased in green velvet and silver. The silver is pierced so the velvet is visible, including a large window on one side. The guard is of the sammaniya type. The blade is an older German blade of lenticular section, with the moon, star and hand holding a scimitar markings, which tapers into a thin point. Given the profile, it could have come from something like a Walloon hilted sword, so probably 17th century?

I am also attaching a photo showing it next to a more typical example for dimensions comparison.

As always, curious to see your thoughts on this kaskara.

[Patterson25]

Hi,

The hilt appears to be a Yemeni silver scroll holder that has been repurposed as a sword hilt.
The green velvet is commonly seen on Ethiopian shields (sometimes red as well).
This DIY modification may have been done recently by a European collector, or possibly earlier in Ethiopia or northern Somalia

Pat

[TVV]

That is a perfect match, thank you.

[G. Mansfield]

Nice Kaskara! I was going to bid on this one as well when I first come across due to the unique hilt design. I do think it was recently rehilted looking at the patina of the sword vs the grip and the green velvet within looks new, as I see no abrasion or staining. Still a unique and great sword. Congratulations!

-Geoffrey

[Ian]

Congratulations on a great sword. I was also thinking of bidding on this one based on the unusual hilt. But I had to redirect resources elsewhere.

[TVV]

I agree that the scroll holder must have been adopted relevantly recently. This of course calls into some question the entire sword.

On the other hand, the guard is well made, and the blade is consistent, at least as far as the markings go, with the sword shown in Lefebvre's illustration of Abyssinian arms from 1845, as published in Spring. That sword has a silver hilt too. If the guard and blade are original to each other (when they were put together in East Africa, obviously the blade is originally European), there is a possibility that the original silver hilt was lost, and whoever restored it improvised.

I have to admit, the result is aesthetically pleasing, even if not historical.

[TVV]

It will never be possible to prove when the scroll holder was adapted as a hilt conclusively, but here is a picture for comparison.



On the left is the window cut into the hilt of my sword, showing the cloth underneath. On the right is a portion of an image, taken from the back cover of Alexander's book on Islamic Arms and Armor in the Met. It is part of the scabbard of a Mughal dagger, which the book dates to 1605-1627.

I am far from suggesting my hilt dates back to the early 17th century. However, the cloth and wear pattern is consistent with something originating in the past, and within the culture the sword was meant to be used, perhaps as early as the 19th century.

Furthermore, if someone wanted to create an object with the intent to deceive, using a nice silver scroll holder which was then worked well into a hilt may not be the most cost effective approach. Besides, mounting the blade with a basket hilt, whether Scottish, a Schiavona or a Walloon would result in an item that would command a much higher price than a kaskara.

Of course, someone could have done this not for monetary gain, but simply because he wanted a cool looking sword. However, such a motive should not be restricted to modern collectors, and Pat's suggestion about an Ethiopian or Somalian origin makes a lot of sense. Just some random thoughts on a day off.