Mandinka Short Sword

Mandinka Short Sword
Mandinka
Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate, British West Africa (Sierra Leone)
Last half of the 19th century (ca. 1850 - 1885)
Steel, wood, horn, brass
Blade: 44,1cm
Hilt & Blade: 58,4cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2022
Collection Number: 294

Ex. Rick Stroud (RSWORD): Raleigh, North Carolina (2022)
Ex. Oriental Arms: Haifa, Isreal (2022)

A fine short sword of the West African Mande speaking people from Sierra Leone. The solid straight steel blade has a medial ridge that extends to the point. Wooden hilt that is extensively decorated with a brass collar in linear and cross-hatched designs. The upper wooden portion of the hilt in spherical form, with small circular brass inlays. The central grip with three segments of linear engraved brass bands, sectioned between two widened dark horn segments. The enlarged wooden pommel having more circular brass inlays around the bottom perimeter. The pommel terminates in a dome shape of stacked brass discs ending in a brass cap.

A fine and early Mandinka short sword of good quality and craftsmanship. Heavy example. Most examples in musuem collections are attributed to Sierra Leone from around 1885.

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[1] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1852-0930-35-a

‍[2] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1978-22-443-a

‍[3] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-5319

‍[4] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af-9066-a

‍[5] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1852-0930-36-a-b

‍[6] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-240079

‍[7] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-44387

‍[8] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-44508

‍[9] https://prm.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/prm-object-146104

‍[10] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=1532

‍[11] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=6160