Kanuri / Kotoko / Toubou Arm Short Sword
Kanuri / Kotoko / Toubou / Hausa or surrounding neighbors
Upper Senegal and Niger Colony, French West Africa (Zinder Region, Niger) - Borno, British Nigeria - German Borno - Kotoko Kingdom - Dikwa Emirate - Logone Emirate - German Kamerun - French Chad ( Northeastern Nigeria - Northern Cameroon - Southwest Chad)
1910
Iron, leather
Blade: 37,5cm
Hilt & Blade: 52,1cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 52,1cm
Collection Date: 2024
Collection Number: 421

Ex. Ethan Rider: Oakland, California, USA (2024) (https://ertribal.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/arm-dagger-sheath-tubu-daza-chad)

A unique style of arm dagger originating from the old Borno Empire lands, which split up around the turn of the 20th century into smaller Islamic Emirates controlled by Sultans and Chieftains under European colonial rule. This land roughly corresponds to the triangle between Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad from which this dagger is used by the Kanuri, Kotoko, Toubou, and others living nearby.

The straight steel blade is double- edged with a slight medial ridge, squared off at the point. There are a series of five fine fullers that separate the center of the blade to the outer part where another two fuller grooves are present along the edges. There is a stamp on one side of the blade marked "1910".

The hilt is of leather with bound woven strips, some now lost to time. The pommel is a triangular iron protrusion. The sheath of tooled red leather with pressed designs. Solid leather arm band attached.

This type is very similar to Chadian Toubou arm daggers and swords but are from farther west near the Lake Chad region. It is much larger than the average arm dagger, resembling almost a sword sword by dimensions. The most interesting characteristic is the squared tip, which is original to the sword and dated 1910.

• https://ertribal.com/index.php/tribal-art/archive/symmetrical-blades/arm-dagger-sheath-tubu-daza-chad

• https://www.quaibranly.fr/en/explore-collections/base/Work/action/show/notice/223731-couteau/page/38/223731-couteau

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1924-1217-22-a-b?_gl=1%2a1y9dufn%2a_up%2aMQ..%2a_ga%2aMTQyNTI4OTA5OC4xNzEyNDQ0MDAw%2a_ga_08TLB9R8X1%2aMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4xLjAuMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4wLjAuMA..

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1911-1214-24-a?_gl=1%2a1logvs9%2a_up%2aMQ..%2a_ga%2aMTQyNTI4OTA5OC4xNzEyNDQ0MDAw%2a_ga_08TLB9R8X1%2aMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4xLjAuMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4wLjAuMA..

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1986-06-34-a?_gl=1%2a1w82qag%2a_up%2aMQ..%2a_ga%2aMTQyNTI4OTA5OC4xNzEyNDQ0MDAw%2a_ga_08TLB9R8X1%2aMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4xLjAuMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4wLjAuMA..

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1986-06-33-a?_gl=1%2a1w82qag%2a_up%2aMQ..%2a_ga%2aMTQyNTI4OTA5OC4xNzEyNDQ0MDAw%2a_ga_08TLB9R8X1%2aMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4xLjAuMTcxMjQ0Mzk5OS4wLjAuMA..

• https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1938-0402-20-a?_gl=1%2a8lgclj%2a_up%2aMQ..%2a_ga%2aNDQwODgxNjM0LjE3MTU5Nzk5ODc.%2a_ga_08TLB9R8X1%2aMTcxNTk3OTk4Ny4xLjAuMTcxNTk3OTk4Ny4wLjAuMA..

• https://african-weapons.com/gallery?tubu-daza-baele-short-sword-55-cm

• https://african-weapons.com/gallery?8-tubu-arm-dagger-45-41-cm-gr

• https://african-weapons.com/gallery?1-kotoko-kanuri-sultan-knfe-39-cm-with-scab-46-cm

• https://african-weapons.com/gallery?3-kotoko-kanuri-sultan-knfe-with-scab-46-cm

• https://african-weapons.com/gallery?2-tubu-dagger-from-major-ernst-von-raben-40-cm

• https://vikingsword.com/lew/w1054/w1054.html