Arm Dagger
Arm Dagger
Nubian
Khartoum, Mahdist Sudan (Khartoum, Sudan)
Late 19th century (ca. 1898 - 1900)
Steel, wood, iron
Blade: 14cm
Hilt & Blade: 22,9cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2019
Collection Number: 459
Ex. Oriental Arms: Haifa, Israel (2019)
A Sudanese arm dagger from the Khartoum area during the Mahdist period. This type of arm dagger was worn with the blade facing upwards hidden on the left arm. In the style of the Upper Nile Nubian type stretching to the capital city of Omdurman. The blade marking can be traced to Khartoum workshops around 1900.
The straight steel blade is double- edged, flaring outward toward the point. A central fuller spans for approximately half of the blade's length. At the base, a four-pointed stamp is present on one side, along with linear and circular engravings. The hilt carved from hardwood with flared ends, the backside having a two-tone coloration. Ending with a squared iron pommel cap. Missing its sheath.
[1] http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=8797
[2] W. O. Oldman, “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”, List No. 87 Vol. vii.; Item No. 14 (1660)
[3] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-75501
[4] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-123985
[5] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-67672
[6] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-67671
[8] https://www.weltmuseumwien.at/object/?detailID=678332&offset=279&lv=list
[9] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-2679-a
[10] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1961-07-1-a
[11] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=3774
[12] http://africanarms.com/gallery?nubian-dagger-23-4-cm