Zulu Dawn:“Excuse me, my Lord, there's something I must convey to you. I rode along the track down to Rorke's Drift. The sky above is red with fire. Your orders my Lord? Do we move to the drift?”
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No, this is not a tourist item!!! It is a 42" in length bamboo sword cane. It has a bone top handle carved in the form of a horse's head with mane Scrolling down the bamboo sheath are the following carved/etched words: ZULULAND
BLOOD RIVER INCENCI NEK ITYOTYOZI NEWDIGATE FORT UPOKO MATSANA FORT UIALANANGO SPRUIT AMLATOOSI EVELYN FORT JACKAL RIDGE EMTONJANENI VICTOTI FORT WHITE UMVOLOSI
ULUNDI
4TH JULY 1879
There is no person's name on the cane to identify the owner or carver, but I think it is safe to believe that it belonged to a cavalryman possibly 17th Lancer or Dragoon as these sites on the route to Ulundi would be known to him. Also the bone horse head top would lend it to this thought. The sword itself outside the sheath is 32" in length. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
That is very nice and I agree it is not a tourist piece. But, I cannot really see the horses head - and if it is why have mane coming out of its mouth?
I just wonder if this is a zulu trophy piece - the bone head looks ethnic to me - taken by a cavalryman and inscribed in the way you say.
Posts : 10353 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 65 Location : Melbourne, Australia
Subject: Zululand / Ulundi Carved Bamboo Sword Cane Thu Feb 01, 2018 7:17 am
Certainly not a Tourist piece , I've never seen this before , I wonder if the Hair pertains to a Mane and Tail ??? . Isandula it's certainly an interesting item , no denying that ! . Thanks for sharing , much appreciated . 90th
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