Zanzibar Nimchas, a More In-Depth Discussion

[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

[TVV]

One of the mysteries of the Omani/East African nimchas is the general lack of markings. I have seen a few with marks, but they are still less than 10% of the total I have seen. On top of that, almost always the rare marks you find on them are not European or in imitation of European marks.

This is even more puzzling when compared to the other 19th century swords that were used alongside the nimchas - the kattaras and the guardless, conical hilt saifs. These other swords are almost always extensively marked and the marks tend to be European or copies thereof.

It appears that either the blades were kept unmarked or any marks were ground out on purpose. Why, I have no idea. Interestingly, this seems to be true of only Oman, Zanzibar and the Comoros, because the Yemeni versions tend to have all kinds of imported blades with their markings.

[TVV]

I was browsing Google images today and came across a very interesting sword, which only deepens the mystery of nimcha hilts for me. It was sold at a Bonham's auction in 2015, and described as 19th century South Indian sword. I believe it is earlier than that, and the hilt and guard have many interesting features.

Obviously, the lion pommel and the grip decorations are beautiful and perhaps correctly attributed to India, as they are unlike anything found either in Oman/Zanzibar or the Maghreb. Members with better knowledge of Indian arms may be able to identify the patterns and confirm where they are from.

But the guard is similar to BOTH Zanzibari and Maghrebi nimchas. Take a look at the D-ring - it has a four-petal flower in the center. This is pretty much the same flower from which the flowers on Zanzibari rings are derived, illustrated with a picture of one of mine.

But then look at the quillons - their ends are shaped as multi-faceted flower buds. This is typical of early Algerian nimchas, like one I have with a brass guard.

The blade is a broadsword blade with a single short fuller and no markings. Interestingly, Zanzibari blades are almost always unmarked, especially the straight ones.

So, what to make of this sword? If the lion pommel and grip are Indian, it would be closer geographically to the Zanzibari and East African nimchas. But it also exhibits Algerian guard traits, so could it be derived from some old ancestor of both of these, brough by the Ottomans to the Indian Ocean?

[Jim McDougall]

The appearance of this sword seems to recall the Sinhalese kastane as well, mindful of Tony North's article (1975). The nuanced influences seen in the elements in these compared swords is remarkable, and reflects the trade conduits that diffused these.
This thread was amazing ! and so glad to see it back. Teodor you have really kept after these sword similarities and given us great perspectives on them, thank you!

[TVV]

Jim, thank you for your support. If you or anyone else have any thoughts on the lion hilted nimcha and where the lion may be from, I am very interested to learn what you think.

The similarities with kastane hilts are certainly there, and Eric Claude has even mentioned that theory in his recent book. There is actually one more, old nimcha hilt with a figural hilt. It is number 1005 in Buttin, and he classifies it as an Arab sword from the 16-17th centuries. The dating is subject to debate, but it is interesting that Buttin has placed it in plate XXX, among other Arab arms and armor and next to Zanzibari nimchas, and not on the previous plate next to Maghrebi ones. The pommel on this one looks more like a monster, perhaps Makara from the Hindu mythology. The quillon finials are also in the shape of monsters.

Those are the figural nimcha hilts I know of, but if I am missing any, please feel free to add them here.

[Gavin Nugent]

This is an engaging look at the type.

I have little to offer other than visual insights that are accessible by all.

This one below may offer further direction for research on trade, interaction, colonisation etc.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/24327