Zanzibar Nimchas, a More In-Depth Discussion

[Jim McDougall]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Nihl]

I’m late in replying to another thread, but I feel I must celebrate the connections you’ve shown here with your images Jim! This is all out of my area of expertise, so I don’t know if this evolution of hilts from karabela to nimcha to colonial sword is actually well known, but it’s the first time I’m hearing of it, and I love it! I always found the “finger hook” at the end of nimchas and so-called berber sabers to be rather peculiar, but I never thought of connecting the two, nor that the former could be an evolution of the more subtle protrusion found on karabela pommels. In general I believe most sabers have this kind of “pommel hook” to catch the hand and prevent it from slipping off while the sword is being swung, and as such I always saw it as being a ubiquitous design feature that just kind of exists without external influences. This is the first time I’ve seen any real connection between grips of different swords, however, so hats off to you Jim (or whoever might have first seen this connection)!

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you very much Nihl! I am certain I am by far not the first to notice this peculiar similarity, which is of course a feature which has numerous other connections. In this case, it is something that became notably apparent to me in my research on Spanish colonial swords, a not particularly well traveled road.

Often we can find certain features in ethnographic weapons which extend to key European influences, especially those of the Italian city states, whose trade influenced the local weaponry in regions they frequented. The nimsha (a term loosely used to describe various Arab sabers but typically regarding short bladed cutlass types) was widely distributed though the Mediterranean, via the Italian conduit.

It is interesting to look into North African edged weapons, particularly in the Maghreb, where such influences prevail, for example the 'peacock' type lunette on many koummya daggers, which are actually a form of khanjhar (Pant, 1980). These pommels are believed to derive from the Italian 'cinqueda', a connection which is of course deemed plausible through visible comparison, cannot be empirically proven, but the idea is compelling.

The Moroccan dagger, janwi, is termed so from the many edged weapons entering these regions from Genoa in that trade. I am sure there are other examples of Italian influences that can be described beyond the scope here.
These strong influences were the very reason I bought the important volume (expensive even back when I got it) "Armi Bianchi Italienne" by Boccia & Coelho. While in Italian, the amazing photos and silhouette plates of general forms reveals almost astounding comparisons with more ethnographic edged weapon forms than can be imagined. It is I think essential.

Best regards
Jim