Billao
Billao
Dervish Kingdom - Darawiish - British Somaliland - Italian Somaliland (Somaliland - Puntland - Somalia)
Somali Dervish
Early 20th century (ca. 1915 - 1935)
Steel, ivory, horn, bovine, copper, zinc, silver, leather
Blade: 18,7cm
Hilt & Blade: 41cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 44,1cm
Collection Date: 2026
Collection Number: 514
Ex. American Art Market (2026)
A fine example of the Somali billao knife from the Horn of Africa during the Somali Dervish uprising period or shortly thereafter. Many examples were captured as war trophies during the British and Italian war campaigns of Somaliland.
The knife has an asymmetrical double- edged sheet metal blade with a slight medial ridge that tapers to an acute point. The central portion of the blade is blackened. An old auction sticker reading "1780 - 188 March, 1998" is attached to one side of the blade.
The hilt is carved from two sections of elephant ivory, beveled in the center, separated by a mid section of dark buffalo horn with copper and zinc spacers. Brass ferrule. The pommel ends in a long capped silver crown prong bound in silver filigree at its base.
Leather sheath having intricately patterned stitching. A fine billao in excellent condition, complete with its original sheath.
Photograph 20: Somali Dubat of the Dir Clan, Italian Somaliland, 1930s.
Photograph 21: Somali Dubats, Italian Somaliland, 1920s - 1930s.
[1] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1935-1011-3-a-b
[2] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1954-23-2664-a-c
[3] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2312
[4] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=5728
[5] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=531
[7] https://africanarms.com/gallery.html?7-two-billao-somalia-37-43-5-cm