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

A.alnakkas · 10th October 2022, 05:31 PM

Excellent post. There are other variants, and nimchas that can be classified as Zanzibari but with Yemeni edits. Will add photos soon once I am in the condition to take them.

Jim McDougall · 11th October 2022, 08:18 PM

Well noted remarks regarding the classifications of these swords as 'Zanzibar' as when discussing groups of swords which are similar context it helps distinguish variation. However as we agree, often regional classification with sword forms is pretty futile as there are no geographic boundaries to weapon forms.

As often discussed over the years, the 'Zanzibar' classification seems to have come from swords of this character used in Yemen, and believed to have been assembled in Zanzibar using trade blades which were as typical, from Germany.
It does seem Artzi was a proponent of this perspective as he had a group of about 40 of these which he had obtained from an arsenal or stores location in Yemen some time ago. I was able to get one of these, which I wanted as a variation from the familiar Maghrebi 'nimcha' (Moroccan sa'if). As far as I have known, the only other source to identify these 'ring guard' nimcha/sa'if has been Alain Jacob ("Les Armes Blanches du Monde Islamique", 1985)

As has been well known, Buttin (1933) shows a good number of these forms of the various types of hilts, but only terms them comprehensively as Arab sa'if.

As has been common with most references dealing with sword typology, as local preferences have most commonly had focus on the hilt, it has been deemed better as blades are most often of other sources and often may be changed out.

I have wanted to add congratulations on the remarkable and wonderful grouping of the Omani swords you have assembled on the other thread ,which include these in the scope and the great work at classifying these. I hope you will be putting something together for publishing as there is scant information on these available for collectors.

I very much appreciate the detail you added on identifying and comparing the Omani shamshir and defining details to note. Thank you!

TVV · 12th October 2022, 12:08 AM

Jim, I always appreciate your comments. While it is true that ethnographic weapons do not have rigid geographic boundaries like standard military patterns would, there are enough differences to allow us to differentiate between regions, in this case Oman and Yemen.

The Yemeni nimcha you are showing is a great example of showing these differences. The guard is much simplified, compared to the more complex Omani guards. The knuckleguard is straight, while on Omani swords it is curved - some would call it S-shaped.

Another important difference is in the blades - your example is well marked, and probably is a European imported blade. While some of the Omani nimcha blades may be European in origin, their blades are almost never marked, and the few that are marked bear marks that are not European in origin. This is really puzzling when contrasted to Omani saifs and kattaras, which are extensively marked with European marks (or imitations thereof).

The question of how the hilt form travelled from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean is an interesting one and potentially a subject of another post or even thread.

I am however fairly confident in the Zanzibar attribution of many of these, as we have period photos of them (and Hales has a photo of these nimchas in the Comoros, which is as far South-East on the distribution range as it gets). I need to post the pictures I have and then we can discuss what we see in them.

Teo

Jim McDougall · 12th October 2022, 12:48 AM

Point taken Teo, as noted the forms themselves do not have rigid geographic boundaries, but indeed the decorative motif and in degree certain nuances in the element designs can distinguish certain regions, as you have shown.

Thank you for the kind words on my example. These markings do seem German but do not match exactly with known examples of makers in the compendiums. It has been suggested many times that German shops may have been producing 'blanks' in blades which were then stamped with interpretations of these marks at entrepots receiving them.

I think the diffusion of this general hilt form has been a well traveled conundrum for a very long time, that will be some thread!

TVV · 12th October 2022, 05:53 AM

Here are some pictures of people wearing Zanzibar nimchas that we can look at, taken straight from the period photos thread.

The first one is a eunuch in Zanzibar, taken in 1931 - a little late, but interesting to see him wear a type III nimcha.

The second one is of a Swahili man called Bwana Heri and his sons. Since it has a label in German, we know it was taken somewhere in Tanganyika between 1885 and WWI. He has a type III nimcha and an Omani dagger, while his sons have no swords and just the newer, Saidi daggers.

The last one is of Sultan Said Ali ben Said Omar of Anjouan Island in the Comoros. He ruled at the end of the 19th century, over all the Comoros just as the French colonized and annexed the islands. While he has a shamshir of the Omani type, the person seated to his left as well as the two men seated to his right wear nimchas. Two of them are type III, while the gentleman seated on the far right has a type I (we can clearly see the ring). While the Comoros were never formally part of the Omani Empire, the men wear Omani Saidi daggers, showing the strong Oman influence on dress and weapons. What are these men and how are they related to the Sultan I do not know - maybe senior bodyguards or some officials.

In Hales the nimchas are worn by the grand vizier's bodyguards. Overall, it would appear that these swords were either worn by the bodyguards of very important people or by older, more senior individuals. All the 4 pictures we have (I am counting the photograph in Hales on p. 237) are taken in Africa, one in Zanzibar, one somewhere in Tanganyika along the coast and 2 in the Comoros. None in Oman itself, so I am not even sure if this sword type was popular in Oman at all.

Teo

Jim McDougall · 12th October 2022, 06:48 PM

These are great images Teo!!!
The Comoros, the old pirate hangout next to Madagascar in earlier times of Captain Kidd.

With the notable 'hand nock' in the grips of these, the influences went to Spanish colonial swords, these from 18th c. into 19th in Caribbean and South Central America..the influence probably from Spanish colonies in Morocco.

9th October 2022, 05:18 AM	#1
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

11th October 2022, 08:18 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Well noted remarks regarding the classifications of these swords as 'Zanzibar' as when discussing groups of swords which are similar context it helps distinguish variation. However as we agree, often regional classification with sword forms is pretty futile as there are no geographic boundaries to weapon forms. As often discussed over the years, the 'Zanzibar' classification seems to have come from swords of this character used in Yemen, and believed to have been assembled in Zanzibar using trade blades which were as typical, from Germany. It does seem Artzi was a proponent of this perspective as he had a group of about 40 of these which he had obtained from an arsenal or stores location in Yemen some time ago. I was able to get one of these, which I wanted as a variation from the familiar Maghrebi 'nimcha' (Moroccan sa'if). As far as I have known, the only other source to identify these 'ring guard' nimcha/sa'if has been Alain Jacob ("Les Armes Blanches du Monde Islamique", 1985) As has been well known, Buttin (1933) shows a good number of these forms of the various types of hilts, but only terms them comprehensively as Arab sa'if. As has been common with most references dealing with sword typology, as local preferences have most commonly had focus on the hilt, it has been deemed better as blades are most often of other sources and often may be changed out. I have wanted to add congratulations on the remarkable and wonderful grouping of the Omani swords you have assembled on the other thread ,which include these in the scope and the great work at classifying these. I hope you will be putting something together for publishing as there is scant information on these available for collectors. I very much appreciate the detail you added on identifying and comparing the Omani shamshir and defining details to note. Thank you! Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 11th October 2022 at 08:33 PM.

12th October 2022, 05:53 AM	#6
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	Here are some pictures of people wearing Zanzibar nimchas that we can look at, taken straight from the period photos thread. The first one is a eunuch in Zanzibar, taken in 1931 - a little late, but interesting to see him wear a type III nimcha. The second one is of a Swahili man called Bwana Heri and his sons. Since it has a label in German, we know it was taken somewhere in Tanganyika between 1885 and WWI. He has a type III nimcha and an Omani dagger, while his sons have no swords and just the newer, Saidi daggers. The last one is of Sultan Said Ali ben Said Omar of Anjouan Island in the Comoros. He ruled at the end of the 19th century, over all the Comoros just as the French colonized and annexed the islands. While he has a shamshir of the Omani type, the person seated to his left as well as the two men seated to his right wear nimchas. Two of them are type III, while the gentleman seated on the far right has a type I (we can clearly see the ring). While the Comoros were never formally part of the Omani Empire, the men wear Omani Saidi daggers, showing the strong Oman influence on dress and weapons. What are these men and how are they related to the Sultan I do not know - maybe senior bodyguards or some officials. In Hales the nimchas are worn by the grand vizier's bodyguards. Overall, it would appear that these swords were either worn by the bodyguards of very important people or by older, more senior individuals. All the 4 pictures we have (I am counting the photograph in Hales on p. 237) are taken in Africa, one in Zanzibar, one somewhere in Tanganyika along the coast and 2 in the Comoros. None in Oman itself, so I am not even sure if this sword type was popular in Oman at all. Teo Attached Images

12th October 2022, 06:48 PM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	These are great images Teo!!! The Comoros, the old pirate hangout next to Madagascar in earlier times of Captain Kidd. With the notable 'hand nock' in the grips of these, the influences went to Spanish colonial swords, these from 18th c. into 19th in Caribbean and South Central America..the influence probably from Spanish colonies in Morocco. Attached Images

10th October 2022, 05:31 PM	#2
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	Excellent post. There are other variants, and nimchas that can be classified as Zanzibari but with Yemeni edits. Will add photos soon once I am in the condition to take them.

12th October 2022, 12:08 AM	#4
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	Jim, I always appreciate your comments. While it is true that ethnographic weapons do not have rigid geographic boundaries like standard military patterns would, there are enough differences to allow us to differentiate between regions, in this case Oman and Yemen. The Yemeni nimcha you are showing is a great example of showing these differences. The guard is much simplified, compared to the more complex Omani guards. The knuckleguard is straight, while on Omani swords it is curved - some would call it S-shaped. Another important difference is in the blades - your example is well marked, and probably is a European imported blade. While some of the Omani nimcha blades may be European in origin, their blades are almost never marked, and the few that are marked bear marks that are not European in origin. This is really puzzling when contrasted to Omani saifs and kattaras, which are extensively marked with European marks (or imitations thereof). The question of how the hilt form travelled from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean is an interesting one and potentially a subject of another post or even thread. I am however fairly confident in the Zanzibar attribution of many of these, as we have period photos of them (and Hales has a photo of these nimchas in the Comoros, which is as far South-East on the distribution range as it gets). I need to post the pictures I have and then we can discuss what we see in them. Teo

12th October 2022, 12:48 AM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Point taken Teo, as noted the forms themselves do not have rigid geographic boundaries, but indeed the decorative motif and in degree certain nuances in the element designs can distinguish certain regions, as you have shown. Thank you for the kind words on my example. These markings do seem German but do not match exactly with known examples of makers in the compendiums. It has been suggested many times that German shops may have been producing 'blanks' in blades which were then stamped with interpretations of these marks at entrepots receiving them. I think the diffusion of this general hilt form has been a well traveled conundrum for a very long time, that will be some thread!