Re-attribution from Ethiopia to Sudan approved by curators Christine Kreamer (NMAfA) and Mary Jo Arnoldi (NMNH).
"[Objects like] these might be described as 'standards', and I believe the Arabic word is 'alim.' The text is a kind of pseudo-Koranic script that was often used to decorate any kind of open surface of a sword, axe, dagger, or piece of armor. This type of script is called 'thuluth' and was thought to impart the protection of God's words to the object, even though the words were meaningless...It was to protect the holy warrior in battle. You can tell this is not Ethiopian because the Ethiopians would never have used Arabic script. Also the same kind of 'thuluth' script appears on a sword [in my own collection], but in combination with real script stating that the object was 'forged in Omdurman' (capital of Mahdist Sudan, across the river from Khartoum)." -- Tim Kendall 1/30/03.
Note re photos: Neg. #2005-25304 is color digital of this staff finial. Neg. #2005-25305 is color digital with staff finial on right and Cat. #360017 on left. Illus. Fig. 11.9, right, p. 135, in Kreamer, Christine Mullen, and Sarah Adams. 2007. Inscribing meaning writing and graphic systems in African art. [Washington, D.C.]: Smithsonian, National Museum of African Art. Identified there as staff finial inscribed with pseudo-Arabic, Sudan, late 19th to early 20th century.
