A MOROCCAN SILVER-HILTED NIMCHA SWORD
Morocco, Northern Africa, dated July 1825

With a long single-edged steel blade slightly curving upward, with a rounded convex ridge in the centre and a flat, broad spine, the flattened hilt of typical shape with three forward-pointing quillions ending in a bud-like style, the knuckle guard starting next to the quillions and running to the bottom of the pommel in a distinct squared-off fashion, the handle covered in repoussé silver sheets with rosettes and fleshy leaves, the blade inscribed on the spine by the ricasso with the maker's mark "Manuf^acture Roy^ale de Klingenthal Juillet 1825", the original silver scabbard worked in the same repoussé design of the handle with rosettes and vegetal volutes, concentric bands of beaded motif at the top, with two suspension loops and a long yellow cord, 110cm long including the scabbard.

In the 19th century, French swords were primarily issued by two major government manufacturers: Klingenthal and Châtellerault. The decision to establish state-controlled blade manufacturing companies was brought forward by King Louis XV at the beginning of the 18th century to limit the imports of German Solingen blades to France. The Manufacture de Klingenthal belonged to the French government, and the Klingenthal name started appearing on swords produced in France between 1768 and 1800. The brand name went through several changes in the years between its first establishment and the cease of business in 1962.

In 1823, the government stated that the marking Manufacture Royale de Klingenthal followed by month and year, previously established in 1815, was only allowed for swords issued to the government and its officials. Other blades issued for commercial purposes had to bear a different marking: Coulaux Frères à Klingenthal. The mark Manufacture Royale de Klingenthal was in use until 1831, when King Louis-Philippe ordered the suppression of the word Royale following the 1830 revolution in Paris. The dating on our blade coincides with the above timeline and it was probably forged for a high-rank French official or diplomat. For further information on Klingenthal and their branding names, please see the article by Jean Bink, A Brief History of Klingenthal Blade Manufacturing, https://www.angelfire.com/wa/swordcollector/kling.html (last accessed 27/09/2021 at 05.03 pm).

For further information on nimcha swords and Moroccan edged weapons, please see Eric Claude, Le Petit Catalogue des Armes Blanches Marocaines et Algeriennes, 2020, p. 103 and pp. 126 - 129.