Salaams Kubur and Estcrh. I really have to stretch to find references on detail for dates on Omani Khanjars and the appearance of the term in other regions though I did dig up a Met Museum reference. It is, however, almost too vague to include which I think makes the point in particular about Omani work; In the case of Saudia because of the important Mecca situation it also attracted a lot of artisans ... Magnificent pieces were made to order by prestigious clients in what almost amounts to a Royal Quality workshops situation. In Oman this didn't happen for two reasons... It didnt have such a centre where Royal quality artisans were focused and producing a vastly expensive gold and encrusted Khanjar wasn't the done thing in a country where austerity in these artifacts tended to be prevalent.. On these fabulous commissioned pieces I think we need to be cautious since these are not representative of daggers worn locally though of course they are gem encrusted, hugely expensive artifacts illustrating a degree of form but not altogether representative of tribal weapons.
The route to and from Mecca became the equivalent of a super highway for pilgrimages and trade linking important Souks in and around Arabia and beyond.
Regarding when a Khanjar evolved to what it is now is just about impossible and the only dated form that I can be sure of is the Royal Khanjar ...and even that is only approximate at around 1830. I think the slow evolution of style and technique rolled out over a few hundred years from perhaps the early 1600s til the mid to late 18th/19th C....and what is seen now being produced are the old designs done in the exact same way using the same old tools.
Notwithstanding the pilgrim routes and Souk links what put the brakes on design transfer was the difficulty in movement across inaccessible desert and mountains ...Oman almost had no roads until after 1970! For this reason you will see my references indicating influence through camel caravans and seagoing trade.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
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