RSword Antique Blades

Very fine Persian Kilij sword with chiseled inscription and wootz blade. This is a beast of a sword measuring 36” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle consists of wood slab grips secured to the tang via two rivets on each side. There is a silver plate secured beneath the top rivet on each side of the pommel. The silver alloy tang band runs between the slabs and over the pommel and features an interlacing rope decoration down the center. The crossguard is of wootz steel. The pattern is quite visible and the majority of it is present. The blade is very attractive and quite large. It measures 1 3/4” at its widest points. There is a chiseled inscription panel on one side and the opposite side has two cartouche, one with inscription and the second with a lion. The blade has a well defined spine due to the hollow grind/wide fuller. The spine with rolled edges that continue along the false edge. The blade is forged of wootz steel showing a lovely pattern and color. There are a couple of edge nicks in spots. The scabbard was made about 10-15 years ago by Tomas Kaczor who was one of the top restorers of his time and did fabulous scabbard work as can been seen by this example. It adds value to the sword and is done in the proper style with fine decorations included. All in all, a very attractive sword.

$4495

Vietnamese Fighting Guom sword with laminated blade. This sword measures 34 1/4” in total length and is a provincial sword instead of the court swords that are often seen from this time period. The court swords usually had the MOP inlaid scabbard with blades that often were not fighting blades and mostly decorated. The blade on this example is sharp and laminated and the mounts are more practical for a village warrior than a court nobleman. The handle consists of a thick brass ferrule with a staghorn grip and a pommel in brass of a stylized monster head. Not unlike some of the ones you see in court swords but it is secured with a clip that extends out of the pommel on each side and the knucklebow or tang extend through this so that the pommel, while loose, will not come off. The blade has good heft, is forged of laminated steel and features a tunkou. The blade has a good amount of pock mark pitting, likely from being stored in a humid environment for a long time. The scabbard is nice. It is wood with brass mounts. Nicely shaped chape. There is a single loop towards the bottom of the scabbard. 19th century.

$695

Rare Borneo Sabah Kris sword with Saramanok handle and very wavy blade. This Kris measures 26 1/4” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle features a very rare pommel in the form of a Saramanok, a legendary bird in Filipino lore and carved from Carabao horn. The grip with alternating bands of rattan alternating between thick and chunky and thin braided strands. The ferrule at the base of the handle is silver. The 21 luk blade is lovely. Beautiful waves with a darkened zone along the edges with the center panel showing some layering. The sword is probably late 19th century while the scabbard is more 1930’s to 1940’s but nice in its own right and fits the sword well. It has a very finely grained wood with metal alloy mounts with rattan bands. There are some strips of copper at the top and bottom mounts along with a chape of copper. Reminds me of some punal scabbard treatments. The Borneo/Sabah attribution comes from the book by Karel Sirag “Drawing The Sword”. He has 3 examples shown on page 967. He refers to the pommel as a rare curled pommel but to me it looks like the Saramanok bird. One of the swords with this type of pommel had an old tag stating “sword captured of the pirates of Tawao”. Tawao is near the border of Sabah/Kalimantan. It could be that some Moro warriors found their way to this area and served aboard pirate ships or it could be this pommel form is original to Borneo. Seems to have strong Filipino influences in any case.

$695

Fine Moro Kris sword with laminated blade. This Kris measures 28 3/4” in total length. The handle consists of a long grip with alternating bands of braided cord and silver wire with a nice silver band at the very top of the grip. The pommel is ivory. Nice and complete with no chips or losses. The blade features a silver clamp around a nicely carved elephants trunk with the fretwork on the opposite side nicely done. The straight blade has a central panel showing laminations which contrast nicely to the darker edges which comes from the heat treatment. At the very bottom of the center panel of laminations is a drilled hole. It may have held a brass or silver inlay at one time. No scabbard. A very nice and well made Moro Kris sword.

Sold

Large Moro Kris sword with silver wrapped grip. This sword measures 30 1/2” in total length. The handle consists of a long grip with a brass piece at the base with chiseled designs, and then alternating sections of silver bands with a center raised decorated area and then braided rattan. There is a silver band at the top of the grip. The pommel is ivory. The tail is a bit squared off and may have been broken but the patina in this area is old and matches the rest of the pommel. The blade has a silver asang asang around a nicely carved elephants trunk. Opposite of that is very nice and intricate fretwork. The blade is straight and double edged and sharp. The blade shows subtle laminations in the center of the blade and sports a “hamon” along the edge indicating the blade has high carbon edge plates. That hamon even goes around the tip of the blade. One patch of pitting on one side of the blade otherwise minimal pitting/oxidation throughout. A nice Moro sword.

$695

Very good Moro fighting sword with rattan grip. This sword measures 26 3/4” in total length. The handle consists of a wood grip completely bound in rattan including a rattan asang asang to provide added support for the gangya blade join. The other asang asang is silver. The blade features shallow curves but is very sharp. There is a strong median ridge running to the tip. The blade has fine laminations that appear like wood grain with a clear demarcation along the edge indicating an inserted edge. A very nice fighting sword.

$395

Moro Kris sword with fine banati wood pommel. This sword measures 27 1/4” in total length. The handle consists of a wood grip with cord wrap that has a dark stain. The wood pommel is beautiful. It is made of banati wood which shows a flashy and active grain that looks a bit like Tiger stripes. There is a chip to the very tip of the beak and an old imperfection/indentation in the wood but all the patina matches in that section so seems natural to the wood. The blade has shallow curved and sports a sharp edge. There is some twisted wire acting as a clamp to the gangya which is an obvious replacement of what was originally there. Well carved elephants trunk. The blade shows a darkened edge zone about half way down that runs around the tip. This is caused through the heat treatment of high carbon edges. This is a fighting sword meant for business.

$395

Nice old Borneo Dayak Mandau sword with interesting figures on the scabbard. This is an interesting mandau with some unique features I have not seen before. This sword measures 32” in total length when measured in its scabbard so it is a bit longer than your average mandau. The handle has a staghorn handle with nice patina and very detailed carvings throughout. It is very long from the back of the handle to the very tip in the “nose” measuring 4 1/2” long. The grip is bound in braided rattan and the original organic plug remains. There is an indentation on one side that would have likely originally contained a coin that is no longer present. The old blade has a good bit of oxidation and some pitting. One side has a hollow grind. The opposite side doesn’t but is covered with dots, lines and other inlays. Only a small amount of the inlay remains. The old scabbard has a couple of interesting features. First, there is a carved raised decoration carved from wood with some remnants of old fabric and tufts of hair at the top of it. There is a rattan belt loop that remains that shows very nice patina. The most interesting feature are these carved figures on what looks like a canoe. The canoe is long and narrow and curves up on one end into what looks like a figure of a man. It seems part of the boat with one arm resting across its chest. The other end has a crouching figure, on their knees with one arm on the canoe and the other arm is missing. On the middle of the boat is a snake with something in its mouth. This is very interesting iconography and I am unsure of what the meaning is but these carvings are quite old with lovely patina. There is a flat palm bark pouch on the opposite side. All in all, an interesting Mandau for its overall size, the long snout on the handle and the very interesting carvings on the scabbard.

$795

Interesting Borneo Murut Long saber sword with layered blade. This sword measures 37 1/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood with a pommel with floral decoration. The blade, with thick spine, has a gradual curve and is forged of layered steel. The laminations are bold throughout. Some minor areas of pitting and oxidation. Really nice pattern. The scabbard is wood with rattan bands towards the top and remnants of a rope baldric. There are missing rattan bands as evidenced by the outline that remains in the wood. Nice patina throughout. A nice sword.

$695

Old Chinese Polearm with wide blade. It measures 74” in total length. The blade measures 16” in total length and is 5 3/4” at its widest point from the curved sharpened protrusion straight across to the edge. The blade is sharp as is the curved protrusion on the spine. Just above the protrusion the backedge is scalloped and also sharp. The tang of the blade is inserted into the haft and visible for about 6” on both sides of the shaft. It is bound with brass bands and there are 4 metal pins with brass rosette washers. The 6 lobed guard is brass and thick. The shaft is wood and has a lovely patina and reddish brown color. It is a thick wood shaft. The bottom is squared off so may have been shorted slightly. The wood has some dings and signs of wear throughout. A good old Chinese polearm.

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Very large Indian lacquered dhal shield. This is a very large shield. It’s diameter measures 26”. It is a hide shield that has been covered in a black lacquer. The lacquer is intact with no losses and just a few spots of bubbling and some crackling to the lacquer but no losses. There are 2 holes at the top where it was previously mounted. There are 4 large metal bosses to the front of the shield. The reverse with pillow pad and 2 hemp rope straps that are likely later replacements. A nice shield given its very large size. Would make an excellent display piece.

$895

Rare large enamel decorated Indian dhal shield. These enamel decorated metal shields are almost always found in much smaller buckler size. This is the largest example of this type of shield I have ever seen. It is quite large. It has a diameter of 21 1/2” and the shield is domed shape with a deep recess in the back adding to its overall size. It is all metal and has been decorated all over the front surface with various floral decorations. The enamel colors include a red background, gray and black decorations on the floral decoration. There are 4 domed bossed also decorated in the enamel. The reverse with a pillow pad and the numerals 1863 4. Not sure if this is an inventory number or possibly a year and a date. These enamel metal shields were en vogue in Victorian England and made for big wall displays of arms and armour. This one is a rarity given its large size and would make an excellent display piece.

$695

Indian Painted Leather Dhal Shield. This shield measures 18 5/8” in diameter. It is made of hardened leather and then has been painted. You have grass or floral decoration around the outer rim of the shield. There is a painted medallion in the middle of the shield. There are 5 bosses in total. 4 are brass and undecorated. The 5th one is copper and the surface has some decorations. The back of the shield comes with a decorated pillow pad with 4 rings. There is some scuffing and wear to the paint on both front and back.

Sold

Indian dagger with stone horsehead handle and pattern welded blade. This knife measures 16 1/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is made from stone and is black in coloration. Perhaps Basalt? It is done in the style of Khanjar handles with the curved based and the horsehead pommel. The blade is forward curving and flat on both sides. It is a stiff blade with an edge. Upon close inspection you can see laminations that are typical of a pattern welded blade. The scabbard has a wood core covered in leather with a metal chape. Circa mid 20th century.

$249

Afghan Karud dagger with leather scabbard. This knife measures 18 1/2” when measured in its scabbard. As is often found in this region the knife submerges most of the way in the scabbard with just a bit of the pommel sticking out on top. The scabbard is leather over wood with stitching to the reverse. The knife has a handle of horn, likely water buffalo or sheep, with ribbing on the grip. The slab grips are secured to the tang via 3 rivets on each side. The ferrule and bolster as well as the tang band in between the grips are steel. The blade with T-back spine with decoration on the top of the spine. The hollow ground blade finishes with a beveled edge. The point is thickened and slightly up turned. A very nice knife that is well made and dates around the middle to early 3rd quarter of the 20th century.

$175

Unusual Balinese sword with fine pamor blade. This sword is unusual in that it sports a Balinese Keris handle in the Cekah Solas style. It is finely carved and faceted in wood. The blade is a pedang blade and is forged of lovely pamor steel. The blade exhibits lovely lamellar lines the full length of the blade and from spine down to the edge. It is a really attractive blade. It is securely mounted into the handle with no wiggle. The scabbard is made for the blade and is made of two pieces of wood secured with a metal band and 2 rattan wraps. It could be a composite piece but the blade and hilt seem to have been together for a long time so it seems more likely it was a custom made piece for someone.

$395

Interesting Indonesian Pedang sword with recurved pamor blade. This sword measures 23 1/2” in total length when measured its scabbard. The handle and scabbard are a lovely brown wood with black lines which is a nice grain and gives it a nice appearance. The blade is interesting in that is is a recurved blade. The blade has a forward curve and then it curves back up in the opposite direction giving it that recurve. It is forged of pamor steel. It is a very unusual blade shape in my experience and may be based on ancient blade forms. A rare and unusual sword.

$295

Massive African Sudanese Kaskara with large European Blade. This humongous sword measures 41 3/4” in total length. The blade alone is 36 1/2” long and 2 1/8” wide at the forte. The handle is wood with a circular wood pommel with remnants of leather wrap. About 35-40% of the leather covering remains. The crossguard is brass. The blade is very well made, likely European given the overall quality, with double edges and a nice central fuller. The blade is not flimsy for its size. The blade is very solid in that it doesn’t bend under its own weight as a long thin blade might. It has a very good heft, good temper and would be a formidable weapon. A very nice Kaskara of unusually large proportions, fine blade and appearance.

$495 On Hold

African Sudanese Tuareg Spear Lance. This piece measures 75 3/4” in total length. The spearhead has a long narrow tip. The all metal spear has line, semi circle and punch dot decoration. The bottom of the spear has a spade shape to it. An interesting and unusual all metal spear of the Tuareg.

$225

Old Indian Katar dagger with Gold Koftgari handle. This Katar is 16 1/4” in total length with a blade that is 8 3/4” long and 1 3/4” wide at the forte. The grip and side bars are steel that have been covered in gold koftgari which is now worn. Probably about 55-60% of the gold koftgari remains. The blade with a thickened armor piercing tip with a shallow panel in the center of the blade. The blade with very dark patina throughout. The blade and some of the side bars with some pitting. Likely a late 18th to early 19th century Katar. The blade is likely of wootz steel but unable to discern with the current level of patina. Has a nice look, as is, in untouched and well patina appearance.

$375

Nice Indian helmet with silver koftgari. This helmet features a faceted bowl which is covered in silver koftgari. The chiseled lines give the helmet nice definition. There are plume holders on the side holding peacock feathers and a nasal guard to the front. The chain mail is intact and in good shape. There is also a spike to the top of the helmet. An attractive late 19th century Indian helmet.

$495

Indian Tulwar Sword with Silver Chevron Pattern Hilt and Wootz Blade. This sword measures 31 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. Without the scabbard it measures 30” in total length. The handle is iron covered in a silver chevron pattern. The pattern is fairly intact on the grip section but it worn on the top and bottom of the wheel pommel. The blade is forged of wootz steel and has a slight forward curve to it. The wootz has a lovely pattern to it with a few minor areas of fading. The forward curve is interesting. Kind of like a Sossun Pata but the blade geometry is different. It has a hollow grind/shallow fuller. There is a fold seam along the spine as often is found on wootz or pattern welded blades. The scabbard is red velvet over wood. The metal mount at the top of the scabbard is missing and there is a little bit of wood loss so the fit at the top isn’t great but this scabbard was made for this sword. A nice Indian sword with interesting silver chevron handle and a nice wootz blade.

$1595 On Hold

Old Filipino Ifugao Pinahig Sword with Lovely Textile belt. This sword measures 18 3/4’ in total length with a blade that is 2 1/2” at its widest point. So a good sized and large Pinahig. The socketed handle features lovely rattan wrap. The blade with good dark patina. The open faced scabbard with absolutely lovely textile belt with lovely colors of blue and orange. The scabbard with some chip carving to the backside. A rare and early Filipino Ifugao piece.

$295

18th Century Spanish Rapier Sword likely made for a child or person of small stature. This sword measures 30” in total length. The handle consists of a grip with alternating strips of horn and bone. It has an urn shaped pommel. The knucklebow with beaded decoration attaches to the straight bar that goes out each side. There is a ring that goes from the straight bar to the split shell guard. The blade is narrow with a finely forged fuller for the first 5 1/2” of the blade. From there the blade has a squared ridge line running most of the length of the blade and then strong beveled edges from there. The tip has rounded in time. A very well made sword that was quite functional. The blade is well made and stiff enough to have been a formidable weapon. A rare rapier given its size.

$795

Very nice Arabian Zanzibar Saif Nimcha sword. This sword measures 40” in total length. The handle is either horn or wood. It has a very deep and rich patina so difficult to determine. The nimcha style pommel is covered in a brass cap also of very lovely patina. The ferrule, knucklebow and the ring guard are all steel. The slightly curved blade, probably of European manufacture, with complex fullering. The blade with good patina. A nice and old, probably late 18th to early 19th century, Arabian Saif sword.

$695

Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower from Inland Western or Central Australia. This example measures 28 3/4” long and is 4 7/8” at its widest point. The top, which holds the spear, has an animal tooth with good patina and wrapped in rattan and the bottom with a roundish grip for holding. The surface of the front has line and dot carvings. The reverse is plain and you can see the lines where it has been hand carved without mechanical tools. An impressive ethnographic object dating to the late 19th to early 20th century.

$695

Very fine and tall African Woven Basketry Shield of the Poto tribe. The shield is 52 1/2” tall by 17” wide. It is in very good condition overall. It has lovely, inked decoration down the front of the shield. The weaving and skill to make this shield is very impressive. The back of the shield has a wood board woven into the shield with the center piece carved out and then two narrow handles laid across the top of the board with the rattan weaving going across the top. It is not a very heavy shield but is solid and very well made. This would make a fantastic display piece.

$795

Fine African Shield of the Ngbaka/Ngbundu/Ngombe/Manza/Mabo Tribes. This style and form of shield was used amongst a good number of tribes within the African Congo. It measures 55” tall by 20 1/2” wide. It is a fine basket weave shield with complex weaving throughout. The shield has some rigidity with the hump in the middle of the shield but some flexibility around the top and bottom. The shield is in very good condition with just a few losses at the bottom and top of the shield and a little bit of wear around the edges. The back of the shield has a long wood board with a carved out middle section with handle and then intricate rattan weaving all around the edges to secure it to the shield. A very fine African shield.

$595

Very nice Indian Naga spear. This spear measures 92” in total length. It features a very nice steel spearhead of socket form with ribbed edges at the base and some line decoration at the base of the blade. Nice color and patina to the steel. The spearhead has a bit of wiggle to it. I think some of the wood has rotted or deteriorated on the inside which causes it to not have a snug fit to the pole. It will display just fine but you shouldn’t hunt wild board with it. It has 2 sections of red dyed coarse animal hair with the lowest one having the hair loose. It is missing its metal finial at the bottom. All in all, this is a nice and old Naga spear. One of the nicer ones I have seen.

$395 plus shipping/handling. Will require a special tube to ship in.

Very nice long Spanish American war period Filipino Luzon sword with 1870 dated coin. This sword measures a little over 28 1/2” in total length. The handle has a reeded grip of either wood or carabao horn with lovely patina and steel ferrule and pommel also with good dark patina. The top of the pommel is a Spanish Coin that is from around 1870. It states “Diez Centimos” and also “Cien Piezas En Kilog”. The tang peining goes through the lion over the shield in the center of the coin. It dates to the provisional Spanish government in place from 1868-1871. This was a volatile time for the Spanish rule in the Philippines. The handle also has an S shaped guard. The blade is nice with a long false edge and slightly upswept tip. The blade has a nice dark glossy patina. There is floral decorations on each side of the blade at the forte. A very good and quite early Luzon sword.

$695

Flores Island Belida sword with rare twistcore blade. Belida swords are very scarce to begin with and to have an example with a super fine twistcore blade adds to the level of rarity for this example. The sword measures 35” in total length. The long handle is wood. There is a hollow out section on one side and a hole at the pommel. At one time there would have been some additional adornments around the handle that are now gone. The wood has a rich dark patina. There is an ivory section towards the bottom of the grip showing lovely color and patina. It sports a pewter guard and ferrule and a number of pewter inlays. Some of the inlays are missing. The blade is fantastic. It is narrow at the forte and widens towards the tip. It is forged of twistcore steel and demonstrates fine layering around the twistcore center panel. A rare sword with fine twistcore blade.

$1995

Very nice Filipino Talibon sword. This is an unusual Talibon variant given the handle style. The sword is a large one measuring 27 1/2” in total length. The handle is wood with a bifurcated pommel that turns down on each side but further down on one side. The grip sports brass or bronze ferrule, strap around the grip and a plate across the top of the pommel. The ferrule is faceted as is the grip. The guard is a thin brass sheet in the shape of a shield. It has a slight wiggle to it. The blade is very nice. Long blade with nice belly and a wide bevel. The opposite side is flat. Elongated tip. This Talibon variant is very well made and could represent a transition piece between the 19th century examples and the later mid 20th century examples. The blade on this one is almost on par with the good 19th century examples. It is well forged and shows many similarities to the older examples but is missing the thumb rest on the spine found on the earlier examples, but it is much nicer than the mid 20th century examples in quality of blade and hilt. The shield guard is likely a later addition. I would put this piece to the 1920-30’s with the shield guard being added later. A good quality Filipino sword.

$425

Very nice, rare set of 3 African Baule Swords with shell scabbards. These 3 are being sold as a set and offer the buyer an opportunity to acquire very good examples of these prestige knives but also a very rare diminutive or child’s example. The largest example measures 17 1/4” long when measured in its scabbard and has a scabbard that is 4 1/2” at its widest. The middle-sized example is 14” long when measured in its scabbard that is 4” at its widest. The rare small example is 9 1/2” long measured in its scabbard that is 2” at its widest. Each example is well made with fine wood handles, the middle-sized example with fine lattice work carvings and each adorned in various ways with brass tacks. All 3 have leather scabbards with red spondylus shells to the front. The smallest example the leather has pulled apart and the blade sticks out from the bottom. Each example with good blade. Each on their own represent a fine African knife and together form a wonderful collection that will display very well.

$1995

Rare published African sword empute of the Lokele. This sword is pictures on p. 214 of the book “100 African Blades from 55 Collections” by Ethan Rider. He writes:

“Short sword and sheath, empute

Lokele/So/Mba/Angba/Topoke/Genya

Democratic Republic of Congo

Late 19th Century

This empute short sword is impressive without its sheath. It has a heavy pommel made of solid iron, a wood handle wrapped in copper and brass, and a blade that is covered with incredibly precise incising. Most empute blades have no sheath, and some of the few that do have one that is slim and plain. The most elaborate empute swords come with a sheath like the one seen here: oversized and decorated with two huge iron discs. This design element is entirely unique to empute swords and is a beautiful, highly distinctive style. “

Another interesting feature of this piece is the hole at the top of the scabbard. It goes all the way through and is likely a bullet hole. No telling how that got there but what a fascinating story to know. The sword measures 16 1/2” long when measured in its scabbard. A very fine published African sword.

$1495

Interesting Timor Sword with Sundang Style handle. This sword measures 24” when it is measured in its scabbard. The handle reminds me a bit of a Malaysian sundang handle. It looks like a Kakatua bird handle. The construction is quite different though. It is made of wood with a split on each side of the lower half of the handle. The tang fits in on one side and the opposite side has a piece of metal that runs up from the ferrule. There is also a rivet on each side. The metal has some type of residue that presumably was used to help secure the handle to the tang. Has a brass ferrule and a square guard. The thin, flexible blade has a black patina with some patches of oxidation/rusting. There are quite a few nicks along the spine. Unsure what caused so many nicks in the spine of the sword. The scabbard is wood with twine wrap at the top. An unusual sword most likely of Timorese origin.

$225

Very good African Manding dagger with scabbard. A very attractive knife that measures 13 1/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood with brass bindings and a bell shaped brass pommel. The top band is missing about half of its wrap. The brass with decorations. Very intricate work in the handle. Nice clean, sharp blade with a central fuller, double edges and chiseled decorations along the central fuller. The scabbard features leather sections of brown and black color and brass bands with decorations. The very bottom of the scabbard is leather over wood. This section the wood core has broken and it moves around. It is stable when the blade is inserted. Again, very nice workmanship throughout the scabbard. All in all, a very well made knife with intricate detailed work.

$349

African Tuareg brass handled dagger with sheath. This knife measures 15 5/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is cast brass which features a cross design in the pommel within a diamond shaped outline with knobs on the two sides and the top. The slender grip is covered with X shaped designs. The ferrule with intricate line carvings. The double edged blade is hand hammered and likely shaped from scrap metal versus being forged. The scabbard is leather with fine stitching along the back and nice tooled decorations to the front. The leather is split on each side from the blade coming in contact as it is pulled and replaced. There is a single long leather tassel attached to the scabbard. An attractive knife.

$325

Very large and nice African Fang Sword. This is a huge example. In researching published examples most were in the 19 to 22” range and I did find one at 24”. This example, measured out of the scabbard, is 27 3/4” in total length. It sports a massive blade that is 20 1/4” long and 3 1/4” at its widest point. The handle is cylindrical with a brass pommel cap and an iron banded grip. Below this is a wood carved section and an extended wood section that sits in the open tang of the sword. It is wrapped at the base in metal wire. There is some wood loss that would have originally covered the extended metal piece at the top of the tang. The blade is massive. It is double edged with a long extended point. There are two fullers on both sides that have old black scale with the remaining portions of the blade polished out. There are some line carvings at the forte of the blade on both sides. The scabbard is some form of reptile skin over a wood core. A very attractive Fang sword of larger than normal proportions.

$995

Fantastic African Chieftan Tebu dagger large example with wide blade. This is the nicest Tebu dagger I have seen or owned. It measures 20 3/4” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle has a slim grip that is covered in well worked leather that is black and brown with the mid grip of reptile skin with leather laced in between. The pommel is an iron arrowhead. The blade measures 11 7/8” long and is 2 1/2” wide at the forte. The blade has lovely geometric designs carved into it. The decoration is on both sides. The scabbard is leather with a leather armband at the top with leather tassels. The body of the scabbard is leather and ribbed. The fish tail bottom of the scabbard is covered in reptile skin. there is an old tag that states “South Africa Chieftan’s Fish Dagger”. Of course, the Tebu are found in Chad in the North of Africa. The overall quality of this piece and the size of it do indicate it was owned be a person of status and possibly a Chieftan so I can agree with that portion of the tag. A very fine Tebu dagger of great quality and size.

$525