Arm Dagger
Arm Dagger
Nuba - Nuer - Luo - Berta or neighboring people
Kordofan - Upper Nile, Anglo- Egyptian Sudan (South Kordofan - Upper Nile, Sudan - South Sudan)
Mid- 20th century (ca. 1940 - 1960)
Steel, wood, metal alloy, leather, reptile skin
Blade: 15,6cm
Hilt & Blade: 24,8cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 26,7cm
Collection Date: 2021
Collection Number: 458
Ex. Harry Wagner Collection: Columbus, Ohio, USA (2021)
Ex. American Art Market (2019)
A Sudanese arm dagger from around the mid- 20th century. It likely comes from the Southern part of Sudan into the Nothern part of South Sudan. The leather fringes are frequented on arm daggers of the Nuba, Nuer, Luo, Berta, and neighboring people. Undoubtedly, they have also made their way to be sold in the markets in the capital twin cities of Omdurman / Khartoum.
The straight steel blade is double- edged with a pair of medial ridges separated by a strong central fuller and two outside fullers along the chamfered edges. The hilt in an "X" shape, carved from a two-tone hard wood with a metal alloy pommel cap.
The sheath is tooled red leather with reptile skin covering. A steel needle / hair pick is tucked into a slot on the rear side. Attached is a braided leather arm loop with leather fringes.
[1] W. O. Oldman, “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”, List No. 87 Vol. vii.; Item No. 14 (1660)
[2] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1908-193-a
[3] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1936-0715-32-a
[4] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-2679-a
[5] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1905-206-a-b
[6] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1936-0715-31-a
[7] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1934-0308-203-a?selectedImageId=1612978794
[8] http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=3774
[9] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=3001
[10] https://africanarms.com/gallery.html?2-fur-dagger-with-great-blade-33-cm