Flyssa (Flissa) Sword
Iflissen Lebhar Tribal Confederacy
Algiers - Kabylia - Regency of Algiers, Ottoman Algeria (Algeria)
Last half 18th century
Steel, wood, brass
Blade: 54cm
Hilt & Blade: 65,1cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2019
Collection Number: 13

Ex. American Art Market (2019)

The flissa is the traditional weapon of the Iflissen Kabyles, an ethnic Berber group originating from the Atlas Mountain Range in Northern Algeria. Their weapons range from small knives to very long swords, most of which are very consistent in design using brass inlays and geometric motifs.

This example is a very early sword version of the form derived from the Ottoman yataghan and influenced by the Mediterranean powers during the corsair era. Older flyssas have a more solid, simpler construction, have a better weight balance, and are usually less fanciful than their later counterparts. They are also shorter in dimensions and have a broader recurve to the blade.

The straight single- edged steel blade has an outward curve before recurving with a top false edge at approximately 3/4 blade's length. The blade tapers into an acute sharp needle- like point. For almost the entirelty of the blade is a long panel of scroll engravings accompanied by crescents, crosses, and Berber motifs. The integral iron bolster is engraved with crescents while the spine having dotted zig- zag patterns with a series of inlaid brass strips. The grips are composed of two very old wooden slabs attached to the tang by five nails. Adorning the hilt are brass strips, including a brass pommel plate, all engraved with linear and geometric patterns. The sword exhibits a dark patina from age.

A powerful and early true fighting short sword of the Kabyle. This style of flyssa was popular during the Barbary Corsair period of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers. This example follows the traditional Kabyle styling and Ottoman yataghan form but with some variation. The hilt is reminiscent of early Mediterranean arms, particularly stilleto and hunting daggers from Italy and France, Genoa and Corsica dagger hilts. Most likely, this sword was made in the capital city of Algiers by a Kabyle craftsman, possibly for the seafaring industry as a boarding sword.

[1] Claude, Eric. 2020. The Small Catalog of Moroccan and Algerian Edged Weapons”. Pages 154 -155

[2] Spring, Christopher. 1993. “African Arms and Armor”. Pages 21 -24

[3] https://africanarms.com/gallery.html?flyssa-with-end-17th-early-18th-cent-blade

[4] https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-north-african-shortsword-flyssa-early-19th-cent-a4b4534984