Zanzibar Nimchas, a More In-Depth Discussion

TVV · 9th October 2022, 05:18 AM

Type III - No guard, the quillons' finials worked to resemble the heads of dragons (or other monsters/animals). You can see some very nice examples in Hales, and for a really low end of the spectrum example you can see mine below. Many of the hilts with this guard are made of ivory and many also tend to be decorated lavishly with gold or silver. The vast majority of this type have curved blades, though there is at least one such nimcha with a straight blade.

This sums it up for now, more or less. I am not sure what the differences in guards are based on - functionality, geography, ethnicity or status. All I can do is just observe these three major types and show them here. Study of period photographs and understanding of Omai art and symbolism might provide some clues, but this would be beyond my current abilities and knowledge.

Regards,
Teo

9th October 2022, 05:18 AM	#4
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	Type III - No guard, the quillons' finials worked to resemble the heads of dragons (or other monsters/animals). You can see some very nice examples in Hales, and for a really low end of the spectrum example you can see mine below. Many of the hilts with this guard are made of ivory and many also tend to be decorated lavishly with gold or silver. The vast majority of this type have curved blades, though there is at least one such nimcha with a straight blade. This sums it up for now, more or less. I am not sure what the differences in guards are based on - functionality, geography, ethnicity or status. All I can do is just observe these three major types and show them here. Study of period photographs and understanding of Omai art and symbolism might provide some clues, but this would be beyond my current abilities and knowledge. Regards, Teo Attached Images