Nilotic Short Sword
Nubian - Ingessana - Fur or surrounding people
Omdurman, Anglo- Egyptian Sudan - Sudan
Second quarter of the 20th century (ca. 1920 - 1960)
Steel, wood, ivory, leather, crocodile skin
Blade: 42,9cm
Hilt & Blade: 55,9cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 67cm
Collection Date: 2016
Collection Number: 66

Ex. American Art Market (2016)

An interesting Sudanese short sword with an adolescent crocodile used as the sheath housing, originating from the twin Nile city of Omdurman, Sudan. Animal talismanics were popular during the Mahdist period, where they commonly used whole reptile and crocodile sheaths. Later, after the war campaign in 1898, many battlefield trophies were sold to British and foreign tourists as "exotic" items in the Omdurman city market. This example is a good quality exotic short sword from around the second quarter - Mid- 20th century.

The straight steel blade is double- edged with a shallow central fuller for 1/4 of the blade's length. Each side of the blade has a series of linear engravings at the base, including horizontal lines and chevrons. Engraved symbolic animal motifs are present on each side. On one side, a bird, and the reverse, a fish with the Arabic inscription "Made in Omdurman.”

The hilt is carved from ebony wood that exhibits a beautiful dark hue in the light. Flared guard with a crescent- shaped pommel. Decorated with elephant ivory circular inserts and segments on the central grip. The two ivory inlays on the pommel are now missing as well as the ivory pommel cap, which would have been in the shape of a small bulbulous prong.

The leather sheath houses a full juvenile Nile crocodile where the blade is inserted into the opened jaws. The legs are bound backward by a leather carrying strap that is attached to two circular ivory cuff bracelets decorated in patterns of black circle- dot motifs. One ivory ring is broken.

The form of the sword is Nilotic, possibly made by the Nubians or Ingessana of the Central Nile Valley, while the ivory cuff bracelets are distinctive of the Fur culture in Darfur who extensively traded these ivory cuffs. A very interesting Nilotic sword of good quality from Omdurman.

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[1] https://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22426 (This sword)

[2] http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20296

[3] https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/51332/sudanese-sword-identifaction-assistance

[4] https://www.ashokaarts.com/regions-tribal-regions/unusual-sudanese-knife-with-crocodile-sheath/

[5] https://www.ethnicdesign.ch/categories/items/detail/ed/Catalog/item/i/fur-nubian-ivory-bracelet.html (Bracelet)

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