Elaborately Decorated Curved Dagger
Moor (Maures), Mauritania, Morocco, West Africa
Iron, wood, brass
Late 19th / early 20th century
The term Moor originates from the Latin Maurus, referring to the people of Mauritania in North Africa, specifically those – regardless of race – who speak a Hassaniya dialect. They are a large, Sunni Muslim ethnic group composed primarily of North African Arabs and Berbers. Today, they inhabit a broad area encompassing Mauritania, Morocco, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Gambia.
The Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula during a power vacuum left by the Visigoths, leading to a complex history of conquest, coexistence, and conflict. Their reign of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492, known as Al-Andalus, was characterized by remarkable advancements in architecture, science, and culture, epitomized by structures like the Alhambra in Granada (Mercadal, Moor, 2024).
Elaborately decorated Moorish curved swords of this type are typically dated to the 19th or early 20th century in museum collections.
21 in :: 53.5 cm
InventoryID #13-2848
Price on Request
