Sahelian Arm Dagger
Sahelian Arm Dagger
Kanuri / Bagirmi / Fur or surrounding people
Borno Empire (Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon) - Kamerun (Cameroon) - Sultanate of Bagirmi (Chad) - Wadai Sultanate (Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan)
Late 19th century (ca. 1880 - 1900)
Wood, steel
Blade: 32,4cm
Hilt & Blade: 43,1cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2019
Collection Number: 56
Ex. Belgian Collection
This is an uncommon dagger or short sword coming from the region of the Chad Basin of Sahel belt between Eastern Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Southern Chad, or Northern Central African Republic to Western Sudan The exact origin or people have not been found due to the limited information on this type of dagger. An almost identical example in the Pitt Rivers is attributed to the Yerwa Kanuri People and has a reptile sheath and arm loop similar to Tebu or Darfur arm daggers from Eastern Chad and Western Sudan. It does not have a geographical reference attributed.
The steel blade is straight, double- edged with a central ridge, tapering to a long point. Central section incised with geometric triangles and linear etchings with two shallow fullers on each side and chamfered edges. The hilt is carved from a hardwood flaring out to a circular pommel with engraved zig-zag and geometric shapes on the center grip. Some chips to the pommel and missing its sheath. An uncommon dagger with elaborate decoration. Likely from the border regions of Chad and Sudan.