Tunisian or Libyan berber sword with scabbard

G. Mansfield · 21st November 2023, 08:41 PM

I just received this khodmi and I think the seller is referring to examples such as this one. However, this is the first time that I have seen this type of sheath with stitching. The more common type is the dyed red leather over wood sheaths, sometimes with brass fittings. The decorative stitching is very similar in the colorful geometrical shapes and patterns to the baldric on your Berber sword werecow.

-Geoffrey

werecow · 21st November 2023, 10:21 PM

Indeed it is! Nice scabbard, very colorful. Thanks for sharing this example!

G. Mansfield · 22nd November 2023, 05:36 PM

I also acquired the silver Berber sword in discussion. I would like to confirm that the pommel is slightly offset but very tight. One side is more noticeable than the other when looking at it straight on. It seems to be a common occurrence on these swords, and I have seen quite a few with twisted pommels. The blade is also very old, definitely European in origin and 18th century my guess. However, there are no stampings or maker’s mark at least on the blade, the tang has not been checked.

I would like to post more pictures of the two hilt sides as they consist of some interesting iconology. One side, there is a camel under a crescent moon. The reverse, a fish and rooster. A quick google search states that the fish is a protective symbol to ward off the evil eye. The camel is a symbol of wealth and prestige, and the rooster promotes fertility. Can anyone confirm or elaborate on the meaning or symbolism of these motifs?

There are also a few circular stamps on the silver hilt. Though none of these show an entirely clean stamp, I photographed the best preserved one. Could this be a stamp of the maker? City? A seal of the Ottoman regency of Tunis or Tripolitania? I know that it is hard to decipher but any clues could help narrow the mystery. I will try to further look at all the stampings and try to piece the legible parts together.

-Geoffrey

TVV · 28th November 2023, 12:28 AM

Congratulations, this is a really nice sword and it is nice to see it acquired by someone on the forum, and even nicer of you to share detailed pictures. In his book on edged weapons from Morocco and Algeria Eric Claude shows similar stamps on koummayas, which indicate the place of manufacturing. Since they seem to only exist on silver encased daggers, I suspect they also served as hallmarks for silver content.

Yvain · 14th December 2023, 07:34 PM

That's a very interesting thread on those intriguing swords!

To me that stamp definitely looks like a Libyan hallmark, you could try posting it on : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1033...413/?ref=share, there is some very knowledgeable people on North-African jewelry.

werecow · 1st February 2024, 12:53 PM

I'll add this recently sold Tunisian nimcha here (not mine) since it is interesting and has a scabbard with a very similar aesthetic.
Seller's description:

Quote:

"Nimcha, Tunisia, 19th Century Mounted With An 18th Century European Blade"
Rare and imposing nimcha from the eastern Maghreb. Long and beautiful European blade from the mid-18th century, decorated with a sun and a moon face decorated with stars and foliage. The current assembly is probably from the second half of the 19th century, in Tunisia or Libya. The embossed and engraved decorations of the metal parts are typical of these regions with the floral interlacing and the motifs with four very tapered almond petals. The massive pommel is decorated with a crescent moon and a star recalling the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, still very influential in these regions in the 19th century. The sheath is made up of a wooden core covered with leather sewn into a wide strip of cords of different colors in triangle patterns. The fittings are all in ornate silver-plated brass.

Steel, silver-plated copper, silver-plated brass, bovine horn, wood, brown leather, blue, red and brown rope

Total length 107 cm
Scabbard 92 cm
Length without scabbard 104 cm
Blade 98 cm
Width at forte 3.9 cm
Width of guard 11 cm
Width of pommel 5.8 cm

TVV · 1st February 2024, 04:59 PM

To me this looks like a sword that was a Berber saber, but which had the original hilt replaced by a nimcha like hilt in more modern times. The fittings that are "embellishing" the scabbard are of brass sheet and to be fair, of pretty low quality. The guard is also quite crude, made of two pieces of brass. It is hard to tell with absolute certainty, but to me this just does not look right and I suspect a much more recent attempt at "enhancing" the sword, rather than a 19th century hybrid.

21st November 2023, 08:41 PM	#1
G. Mansfield Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Posts: 78	I just received this khodmi and I think the seller is referring to examples such as this one. However, this is the first time that I have seen this type of sheath with stitching. The more common type is the dyed red leather over wood sheaths, sometimes with brass fittings. The decorative stitching is very similar in the colorful geometrical shapes and patterns to the baldric on your Berber sword werecow. -Geoffrey Attached Images

22nd November 2023, 05:36 PM	#3
G. Mansfield Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Posts: 78	I also acquired the silver Berber sword in discussion. I would like to confirm that the pommel is slightly offset but very tight. One side is more noticeable than the other when looking at it straight on. It seems to be a common occurrence on these swords, and I have seen quite a few with twisted pommels. The blade is also very old, definitely European in origin and 18th century my guess. However, there are no stampings or maker’s mark at least on the blade, the tang has not been checked. I would like to post more pictures of the two hilt sides as they consist of some interesting iconology. One side, there is a camel under a crescent moon. The reverse, a fish and rooster. A quick google search states that the fish is a protective symbol to ward off the evil eye. The camel is a symbol of wealth and prestige, and the rooster promotes fertility. Can anyone confirm or elaborate on the meaning or symbolism of these motifs? There are also a few circular stamps on the silver hilt. Though none of these show an entirely clean stamp, I photographed the best preserved one. Could this be a stamp of the maker? City? A seal of the Ottoman regency of Tunis or Tripolitania? I know that it is hard to decipher but any clues could help narrow the mystery. I will try to further look at all the stampings and try to piece the legible parts together. -Geoffrey Attached Images

21st November 2023, 10:21 PM	#2
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 437	Indeed it is! Nice scabbard, very colorful. Thanks for sharing this example!

28th November 2023, 12:28 AM	#4
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,602	Congratulations, this is a really nice sword and it is nice to see it acquired by someone on the forum, and even nicer of you to share detailed pictures. In his book on edged weapons from Morocco and Algeria Eric Claude shows similar stamps on koummayas, which indicate the place of manufacturing. Since they seem to only exist on silver encased daggers, I suspect they also served as hallmarks for silver content.

14th December 2023, 07:34 PM	#5
Yvain Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: France Posts: 176	That's a very interesting thread on those intriguing swords! To me that stamp definitely looks like a Libyan hallmark, you could try posting it on : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1033...413/?ref=share, there is some very knowledgeable people on North-African jewelry.

1st February 2024, 04:59 PM	#7
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,602	To me this looks like a sword that was a Berber saber, but which had the original hilt replaced by a nimcha like hilt in more modern times. The fittings that are "embellishing" the scabbard are of brass sheet and to be fair, of pretty low quality. The guard is also quite crude, made of two pieces of brass. It is hard to tell with absolute certainty, but to me this just does not look right and I suspect a much more recent attempt at "enhancing" the sword, rather than a 19th century hybrid.