Oman, Morocco or Zanzibar?

[tom hyle]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

I agree with Lofty.....Moroccan hilt style. The "Zanzibari" style has a D shaped "guard" at the extremity of the quillons.

Known in Latin as an annoe (spellings various) or ring.
These are not universal to the Eastern type, but occasional to it.
IMHO much more diagnostic is the shape of the quillion block and of the quillons themselves.

[Kurt]

I found this interesting "Nimcha" (?) In a French book.
could this decoration be from the 18th century.
Nimcha or Saif?
Dear Louis - Pierre you can say more about that?
Best Kurt

[LPCA]

Hi Kurt,

It may be a presentation Nimcha even if it misses the full set of quillions (of which the guard). The profile of the handle is the same that the one of a Nimcha.
This type of work on silver was and is again nowadays done by the jew community of the casbash. Prudently, i would say late XIX°, early XX°. Why not before?? But, the blade would tell more for its datation.

Best for you.
Louis-Pierre

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by LPCA

Hi Kurt,

It may be a presentation Nimcha even if it misses the full set of quillions (of which the guard). The profile of the handle is the same that the one of a Nimcha.
This type of work on silver was and is again nowadays done by the jew community of the casbash. Prudently, i would say late XIX°, early XX°. Why not before?? But, the blade would tell more for its datation.

Best for you.
Louis-Pierre

Thanks for the assessment.
I know the guard's a bad supplement.
But the silver work is like the decoration of "Türken Beute" Weapons(17 early 18 century ).Even the shape of the blade could be early ?
It looks like niello work?
Is that possible?
Best
Kurt

[LPCA]

Hi Kurt,

difficult to say something on the blade as details are missing and the image does not help much. The shape could be from 17 to 19°.

Of course, Moroccan Jews also knew the work of niello. But here they seem to have used a more traditional technique in Morocco. Either a silver plate is engraved with patterns, either 2 silver plates are welded together. The top plate is first cut with patterns and then plated (soldered) on a silver plate as a support. This creates a relief that highlighted by shading the visible parts of the support plate. This work is often seen on Koumiya.

See U.
Louis-Pierre

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by LPCA

Hi Kurt,

difficult to say something on the blade as details are missing and the image does not help much. The shape could be from 17 to 19°.

Of course, Moroccan Jews also knew the work of niello. But here they seem to have used a more traditional technique in Morocco. Either a silver plate is engraved with patterns, either 2 silver plates are welded together. The top plate is first cut with patterns and then plated (soldered) on a silver plate as a support. This creates a relief that highlighted by shading the visible parts of the support plate. This work is often seen on Koumiya.

See U.
Louis-Pierre

Thank you Louis -Pierre ,
Your explanations were very helpful .
Best
Kurt

[Kurt]

Hi ,
Have found those pictures in my sold archives .
Think it is a Saif from the 18 century.
Does anyone know more?
Regards
Kurt

sorry for my bad English !

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams, I cannot add much to the already full and excellent discussion ...except...Nim means half in Baluchi and they take that from the Persian as noted in a previous detailed thread. It is not an Arabic word but again that is already discussed... so ...

This is a Zanzibari Nimcha. Not the cloisonned Algerian version nor the classic Magreb style. As Jim was saying in this and other related Nimcha threads these swords started life in Italian or Venetian roots. There are other variants including the Saudi item and cheaper hilted Yemeni variants but the one which makes ones eyes sparkle is the Omani or Zanzibari version ... When people say Omani Nimcha what they actually mean is Zanzibari (as already noted Oman owned it for a considerable period and it even became for a time the Omani capital !)

Apart from the obvious, there are two clues to origin;

1. The Hilt of Ivory.
2. The decorative gold Hilt pattern style.

Zanzibari traders favoured the Ivory hilt on their Nimchas...Being a trading hub for all things African, Zanzibar was well placed for the Ivory trade.

The decorative gold style is Indo/ Persian "Miri Bota" leaf pattern. Not likely to be done on a Nimcha other than a Zanzibari Nimcha. More than likely craftsmen from India worked in Zanzibar and the decoration was either done there or in India from which much trade exchanged with the Zanzibaris.

I have to add that the Nimcha puzzle is or has been one of the most difficult to crack open... and thanks to the Forum it is now somewhat clearer.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi.