Prestige daggers such as these would been worn by the nomadic Hadendoa, who derive from the Bedja people of south-eastern Egypt, eastern Sudan and western Eritrea. Beautifully carved from ebony wood, the handles of both blades are X-shaped and flared in form. While one of the handles has been finely decorated with silver wire, the other blade's leather sheath has been adorned with silver at its tip. The handle of the slightly larger dagger has a wonderful form and has been no doubt deliberately carved in ebony wood to show both the darker and lighter tones of the wood.
Estimated Period: First Half of the 20th Century
(Left) Length: 35cm, Width: 10cm
(Right) Length: 34cm, Width: 12cm
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