Arm Dagger
Arm Dagger
Fur - Nuba or surrounding neighbors
South Darfur - South Kordofan, Anglo- Egyptian Sudan - Sudan
Mid- 20th century (ca. 1940 - 1970)
Steel, wood, ivory, metal alloy, leather, crocodile skin
Blade: 13,7cm
Hilt & Blade: 24,8cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 27,9cm
Collection Date: 2019
Collection Number: 63
Ex. American Art Market (2019)
A fine arm dagger from around the mid- 20th century, Sudan. This type of arm dagger is found in South Darfur into South Kordofan and used amongst the Fur, Nuba, and neighboring people. Examples retained in the British Museum were purchased in the Southern Darfur cities of Nyala and Buram, while others have also been found in the South Kordofan Kadugli Area of the Nuba Hills. 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 slightly raised medial plane and chamfered edges. The hilt flared at the top, carved from a dark colored, hard wood, sometimes called African blackwood that has characteristics closely related to ebony wood. The lower half of the hilt is composed of stacked segments of wood and elephant ivory with a disc- shaped pommel ending in an engraved silver alloy pommel cap.
The sheath is tooled red leather with crocodile skin. Attached is a braided leather arm loop. A fine quality arm dagger of the time period. Complete with no damage, as many examples are often chipped, cracked, or broken.
[1] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-124457
[4] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1980-22-6-a-d
[5] https://oriental-arms.com/product/arm-dagger-from-east-africa/ (Listed February 2022Sold $295)
[6] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=1089
[7] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2094
[8] http://www.africanarms.com/gallery?10-sudan-dagger-25-5-cm-dagger-23-6-cm