Billao (Belawa) Sword
Billao (Belawa) Sword
Dervish Somali
Darawiish - British Somaliland - Italian Somaliland (Somaliland - Somalia)
Late 19th - Early 20th century (ca. 1880 - 1910)
Steel, horn, pewter
Blade: 45,4cm
Hilt & Blade: 66cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2020
Collection Number: 107
Ex. UK Art Market (2020)
An old example of the Somali billao or belawa sword from the Horn of Africa during the Somali Dervish uprising period. Many examples were captured as war trophies during the British and Italian war campaigns of Somaliland. Most examples such as this one comes from the former British Somaliland.
The straight leaf shaped asymmetrical steel blade is double- edged with medial ridge that transitions into the point. The hilt is carved from two segments of buffalo horn separated by a pewter central grip. Pewter ferrule between the blade and hilt. The pommel has a large pewter single spiked central prong. Missing its sheath. An uncommon sword of good age.
Photograph 10: Somali Warriors with a similar belawa for comparison.
Photograph 11: A comparison with an example in Anthony Tirri’s, “Islamic and Native Weapons of Colonial Africa,” 2007.
[1] W. O. Oldman, “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”, November 1904: List No. 20; Item #11 (6545)
[2] Spring, Christopher. 1993. “African Arms and Armor”. Page 105 – 106 (Info)
[3] Tirri, Anthony C. 2007. “Islamic and Native Weapons of Colonial Africa 1800 - 1960”. Page 97, Figure 2-31.
[4] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1911-25
[5] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1979-01-5018
[6] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1933-1114-49-a
[7] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1928-0509-38
[8] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1979-01-4947-a-b
[9] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-2676
[10] https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/306701
[11] https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/306702
[12] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=927
[13] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=6319
[14] https://africanarms.com/gallery.html?6-billao-sword-66-cm
[15] https://africanarms.com/gallery.html?7-billao-short-sword-55-2-cm