Accidental collector - old weapons ID assistance (Yao?)

[Martin Lubojacky]

When it is marked out by such important museum (and motivated by donor´s legends), it is difficult to object. But, in any case, there is something strange in it. Look at another yao knives, which are more conformable to i.g. Shona style. Rivets instead of tongue in that part of Africa ...(?), such collar .... As far as me - the overal shape is more similar to Japanese fishermen boat knives (I knowingly talk a bit; I would vote to Burma or something Central Asian), than to African styles which I met till now. But, the life is neverending study...

I mentioned following story here before, so I apologize: cca 20 years ago I have given my nice knife from Finland to my friend, who was travelling to Ongota tribe in southern Ethiopia. My friend was linguist and he studdied those tribes. Once he was present to the childbirth there and so - he became something like godfather. So I gave him the Finland knife when he was going to visit the willage and to call on the boy after years - since he did not have any suitable gift with him. I hope nobody will donate this Finland knife to any museum as tradditional Ongota knife. I know this differs from the Yao case and I do not want to flout authorities, but, there could be something similar in it ...

[Andrew]

In my personal opinion, these are not continental SEA. The general blade profile, fullering and ivory handles are strikingly similar to knives from the region, but the differences are more edifying--the partially exposed tang and bolsters are definitively not correct for that region.

Other than this observation of questionable value, I am clueless as to origin.

[Sajen]

I still have problems to believe that this knives are from Africa, museums are often wrong by descriptions.
Nepal could be a facility, look for example this ram-dao taken from this forum: http://www.allempires.com/forum/foru...TID=29611&PN=3
See special the mark on the blade.

Regards,
Detlef

[Tim Simmons]

I am with you Detlef. African knife makers make the most crude and some of the most wonderful quality knives but this is not one from Africa. How and why the museum has it wrong I do not know?

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

I am with you Detlef. African knife makers make the most crude and some of the most wonderful quality knives but this is not one from Africa. How and why the museum has it wrong I do not know?

You guys are forgetting the colonial powers at play here...

[spiral]

I certainly perceive the tang style as European , but if Wikipedia is to be believed the Yao resisted, The Brits, Germans & Portuguese. {If so they did well...}

They were Muslim slave & ivory traders trading with the Arabs... If this is correct perhaps they where originally traded there by the Arabs, along with the guns they gave them?

Obviously the Wicky article may not be entirely correct either...

I do believe they were found in Yao territory, but I don't believe the Yao made them.

spiral

[Martin Lubojacky]

I think there were deep (slave and ivory) expeeditions to the African interior organized from Zanzibar (under influence of Omani Arabs) in 19th century. In Stone Town you can find collection of mainly Congo weapons brought at that time

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by spiral

I certainly perceive the tang style as European , but if Wikipedia is to be believed the Yao resisted, The Brits, Germans & Portuguese. {If so they did well...}

They were Muslim slave & ivory traders trading with the Arabs... If this is correct perhaps they where originally traded there by the Arabs, along with the guns they gave them?

Obviously the Wicky article may not be entirely correct either...

I do believe they were found in Yao territory, but I don't believe the Yao made them.

spiral

Interesting too are some connections. The Yao areas were Annexed by the Brits in the late 19th century, formally a little after. They too had Sikh soldiers in there as their forces....
Interesting are the blade marks on clearly African Weapons, i.e; the Kaskara and the axe of Tim's and also Jen's Tulwar...
There was a massive amount of trade throughout the regions...Yao hands may have made these but under direction of EU occupation I am sure.
With a guess for consideration too, the Malawi facial tattoos of the region in most cases, loosely bear a resemblance to the blade stamps on these knives.