help asked identifying Moroccon (Berber?) dagger

Hi everyone.
Long ago I brought a dagger from Morocco as a present for my son. My son is still very interested in this dagger to this day.
Can anyone tell me something more about the origin, or is it a tourist object? It seems to have been used a lot and the blade has a logo.
Thank you very much for r

 

How long ago was "long ago?" And where in Morocco?

Debora

 

Yes, it is a Moroccan koummiya, but it is a decorative one. Probably 1960s. And you are correct, koummiyas are native Berber, not Arabic.

Just wondering, with an avatar name like Saint Liduina, are you Dutch?

 

It may have been used to defend against attack..... or to prey upon travellers after a pilgrimage ....... but that is unclear at the moment.

 

Thank you very much. You may also know what kind of bone is used? It feels very smooth.
Yes, guilty
Dutch, from Liduina's hometown

 

It is usually sold as camel bone, but I couldn't say for sure. It is pretty dense, so it could be.

Schiedam, right? Poor Liduina.
I am also Dutch.

 

15-20 years ago?
I honestly do not recall where I purchased it. We did travel in the Atlas mountains.

 

So after the start of mass tourism.

Debora

 

That isn't long ago to an Antiquer.
It probably wasn't made in the Atlas Mountains, but more likely in Marrakesh or Safi, where they also combine metal with ceramics.

If the koummiya is only 20 years old, I suspect the maker or seller kept it in a damp place where verdigris could form on the metal.
I think it is earlier though, and could have been second hand when you bought it. But definitely ornamental, not made for use, so age doesn't matter that much.

I bought a vintage Moroccan bone and metal kohl bottle a while ago, so I checked prices for Moroccan bone and metal items. I was blown away, so much higher than I imagined.

 

Many Moroccan crafts were sold in the Netherlands in the 1960s. I even remember the basement of department store "De Bijenkorf" filled with Moroccan and Afghan items. This was before 1970, when we left the country.

Tourist items were made in the Maghreb long before the 60s. There are stories of late 19th century Algerian Kabyle Berber silversmiths making their small children wear jewellery while running around, climbing trees, and playing in the dirt. That way the jewellery got dinged and looked old, and it could be sold as antique to tourists.