Omani Kattara/Sayf help with proper dating.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by laEspadaAncha

Zanzibari slave traders extended their reach well into equatorial Africa. The notorious slaver Hamed bin Muhammad, a.k.a., Tippu Tib, was appointed governor of the Stanley Falls district of the Congo Free State (by King Leopold II) in the late 19th century, which positioned him on the navigable Congo River. While the territory from which he captured slaves ranged primarily south of the Congo (well into Central Africa, around the 8th parallel south), merchant trade from downriver was the bloodline of all upriver communities. It was up the mouth of the Congo by which Stanley transversed Africa in his 'rescue' of Emin Pasha in 1887. Tippu Tib accompanied him on this particular voyage, which in fact originated in Zanzibar.

Tippu Tib:


In the map attached below, the inner circle is the approximate location of Stanley Falls, while the ellipse (roughly) represents the area over which Tippu Tib poached ivory and captured slaves.

Salaams laEspadaAncha; Tippu Tip controlled over 2 million square miles of territory.. He was, however, a latecomer to the scene regarding the curved weapon; The Omani Kattara he is seen wearing.. I put the transission of that hilt onto straight Omani Danciing Swords earlier more likely with his grand father or great grandfather (or in their time)... and in about 1744 at the the start of the new dynasty. As for the actual play in developing the hilt I am not at all sure if it was influenced by... other African variants... but the Manding hilt makes sense.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Notes; see also
1. Kattara for comments http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ttara+comments

2. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=Omani+Kattara

3. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16795

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams laEspadaAncha; Tippu Tip controlled over 2 million square miles of territory.. He was, however, a latecomer to the scene regarding the curved weapon; The Omani Kattara he is seen wearing.. I put the transission of that hilt onto straight Omani Danciing Swords earlier more likely with his grand father or great grandfather (or in their time)... and in about 1744 at the the start of the new dynasty. As for the actual play in developing the hilt I am not at all sure if it was influenced by... other African variants... but the Manding hilt makes sense.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Notes; see also
1. Kattara for comments http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ttara+comments

2. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=Omani+Kattara

3. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16795

Simple observation of the sword Tipu is wearing in the photo does not show an Omani type hilt, but rather a Manding style with visible "balls".

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Simple observation of the sword Tipu is wearing in the photo does not show an Omani type hilt, but rather a Manding style with visible "balls".

Salaams Khanjar I ..No its an Omani Kattara; Curved blade on a long hilt. The photo is quite late and I think 1890 something... By then the Royal Khanjar hilts had appeared sometime around 1850... which he is also wearing.

We are looking for the possible transmission of Manding to Omani Kattara swords pre 1744 before the Omani Kattara long hilt was accepted as the design for the honorific pageant and dancing sword... The Omani straight Sayf...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams Khanjar I ..No its an Omani Kattara; Curved blade on a long hilt. The photo is quite late and I think 1890 something... By then the Royal Khanjar hilts had appeared sometime around 1850... which he is also wearing.

We are looking for the possible transmission of Manding to Omani Kattara swords pre 1744 before the Omani Kattara long hilt was accepted as the design for the honorific pageant and dancing sword... The Omani straight Sayf...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[TVV]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Simple observation of the sword Tipu is wearing in the photo does not show an Omani type hilt, but rather a Manding style with visible "balls".

Very good observation, I had not noticed before. The scabbard, however, is Omani in style, with silver(?) chape and metal rings.

Teodor

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all .. No the configuration is Omani Kattara with an odd / different pommel arrangement. Just looking around my collection of a few dozen such weapons (straight and curved) none of the pommels are standard..some in a knuckle bolt end style others tubular ended and some without a pommel. Others with a pommel hole but some without.

Tippu Tib is quite likely to have had the design added from his African travels and this perhaps shows the potential influence onto Omani Kattara particularly from Manding designs.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams all .. No the configuration is Omani Kattara with an odd / different pommel arrangement.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Sorry I forgot that everything is of Omani origin....................