A Very Fine & Rare Darfur Arm Sword — The Mansfield Collection

Darfur Arm Sword

Darfur Arm Sword
Fur / Kanuri
Sultanate of Darfur (Darfur - Kordofan, Sudan - South Sudan)
Late 19th century (ca. 1865 - 1885)
Steel, rhinoceros horn, wood, crocodile skin, leather
Blade: 44,5cm
Hilt & Blade: 64,7cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 64,7cm
Collection Date: 2024
Collection Number: 391

Ex. Vancouver British Columbia, Canada Private Collection (2024)

A very rare and fine type of Sudanese arm sword associated with the Darfur Sultanate in the last half of the 19th century. These short swords were worn by placing the left arm through a solid leather band similarly to the smaller Sudanese arm dagger counterpart. The swords were exclusively prominent in the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan until their style disappeared in the late 19th century as the Sultanate was weakened by both invading and foreign powers.

The straight double- edged steel blade has a medial ridge that tapers to a point. A pair of outside fullers follow along the blade's edge in entirety. The blade is decorated in a row of incised geometric zig-zags starting at the base, which expands for approximately a quarter of the blade's length.

The hilt is carved from a thick chunk of rhinoceros horn in three sections, beveled in the center, with a flared guard and diamond shaped central grip. The thick, crescent shaped pommel having a large octagonal pommel spike protruding out from the end. The hilt presents a fine dark honey coloration with a fibrous structure throughout.

The sheath with a wooden interior covered in leather of geometric stamped designs. The mouth and chape sewn in green stitching, comprised of crocodile skin, which now displays a vibrant and beautiful yellow- brown hue and coloration from age. A solid leather arm band is sewn into the top section. Unfortunately, the tip of the sheath is now missing. A large and scarce Darfur sword in great condition with only minimal damage to the sheath. A very old example.

Most examples collected in museums tend to be from the mid to late 19th century, specifically the 1870s through the 1880s. Very similar pieces can be seen in Dr. Wilhelm Junker's Travels in Africa 1875 - 1886, attributed to Darfur (Photograph 30).

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[1] Dr. Wilhelm Junker: Dr. W. Junker's Travels in Africa 1875 - 1886; Bd.1, S.557 - from Darfur

‍[2] W. O. Oldman. “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”. List No. 74; Item #17 (17662)

‍[3] https://collections.penn.museum/collections/object/263090

‍[4] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-146094

‍[5] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-99519

‍[6] https://www.weltmuseumwien.at/objekte/dolch-mit-scheide-486607

‍[7] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-2674-a-b

‍[8] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1954-23-2500

‍[9] http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=8494

‍[10] http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=8786

‍[11] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2214