Arm Dagger in Sheath
Fur / Nuba / Bedja / Barabra / Hadendoa, Sudan
Iron, wood, leather, crocodile, copper
1899

Knives of this type were widely used by numerous cultures throughout Sudan and attributing them to one specific group can be problematic. They were commonly found among the Fur and Nuba. Many found their way into distant areas via a system of long distance trade by caravans, ending up far to the east in Somalia and far to the west in Nigeria. 

The knife was worn on the outside of the upper arm, handle pointing downwards, and grabbed with the opposite hand. The bulbous detail at the bottom of the sheath was called toom, after the Arabic word for a bulb of garlic (Fischer & Zirngibl, Afrikanische Waffen, 1978; Sparks, “Arab Knife,” Southern Sudan Project, 2005; Westerdijk, African Metal Implements, 1984; Zirngibl & Kubetz, Panga Na Visu, 2009).

The two-tone handle is naturally formed, and was carved from a single piece of wood made of both heart wood and sapwood. The 19th century copper coin attched to the handle is from Egypt (Abdul Aziz). Each side of the blade is incised with characters reading: 

Front: "Omdurman year 99"
Back: "Al Khartoum 1317" (1899 CE)

13.5 in :: 34.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2513

SOLD