Billao
Billao
Dervish Kingdom - Darawiish - British Somaliland - Italian Somaliland (Somaliland - Puntland - Somalia)
Somali Dervish
Early 20th century (ca. 1915 - 1935)
Steel, ivory, horn, bovine, fabric, leather
Blade: 20,6cm
Hilt & Blade: 42,2cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 44,5cm
Collection Date: 2026
Collection Number: 515
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 that tapers to an acute point. The central portion of the blade is blackened. The hilt is carved from three sections of elephant ivory, beveled in the center, separated by two sections of dark buffalo horn segments and a bovine horn ferrule. The pommel ends in a capped silver crown prong bound in silver filigree at its base. There is old green fabric present underneath the silver prong. Leather sheath having intricately patterned stitching. A fine billao in excellent condition, complete with its original sheath.
Photograph 18: Somali Dubat of the Dir Clan, Italian Somaliland, 1930s.
Photograph 19: 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