What: A shotel sword and sheath taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala referenced at length in the museum’s acquisition notes.

The catalogue entry reads:

“Shotel forged from iron with sickle shaped blade, carved wood hilt and circular, domed, cast [?] brass pommel. The pommel is attached to the hilt by a central iron nail.”

“Sheath for shotel made of leather, decorated on the outer surfaces with a layer of red saffian leather tooled with linear decorations. The sheath is stitched centrally along one side with leather thread using a herring bone stitch. The top edge of the opening is decorated with leather whip stitching. A leather belt with a large metal buckle is stitched to the top of the sheath with decorative green leather overstitching and bands of red leather. The pin of the buckle is engraved with a cruciform decorations.”

Details
Museum number: Af1868,1001.28.a and Af1868,1001.28.b
Date: 19thC
Previous owner/ex-collection: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1868