A Fine Darfur Arm Dagger
A Fine Darfur Arm Dagger
Fur - Nuba or surrounding neighbors
Darfur, Anglo- Egyptian Sudan (South Darfur - South Kordofan, Sudan)
Early 20th century (ca. 1920 - 1940)
Steel, elephant ivory, leather, monitor skin, silver alloy
Blade: 15,6cm
Hilt & Blade: 27cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 27,3cm
Collection Date: 2024
Collection Number: 441
A fine Sudanese arm dagger of good quality from the Fur or Nuba people between South Darfur and South Kordofan Region. Similar examples are attributed to the Fur in the Southern Darfur capital of Nyala in the British Musuem, with a few examples found east into the Nuba Hills of South Kordofan used by the Nuba. Comparative arm daggers with slightly different forms are found further north in Al Fashir used by the Fur and further south used by the Azande. They all represent this same style that uses wood or ivory hilts, circle- dot, and linear decorations that distinguish them from the "Khartoum" style of longer wooden hilts with more slender sheaths.
The steel blade is double- edged with a prominent central ridge separated by two offset fullers with chamfered edges. The hilt is carved entirely from elephant ivory. The knife has a disc- shaped pommel ending in a silver alloy bulbed pommel cap. Leather sheath that is embossed with designs on one side and a monitor skin mouth and chape. Attached is a braided leather arm loop. A fine, well- made example in excellent condition. Most similiar knives from the region are made from a wood and an ivory lower hilt section. It is less common to have the whole hilt carved in elephant ivory in whole.