Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ariel · 5th December 2022, 05:55 PM

This is an interesting example of transformation of sword blades.
Early examples of nomadic sabers from South Siberia to Khazars, Quipchaks, Mongols etc. all had a tunkou-like ( or habaki-like, if you wish) element of the blade adjacent to the handle. It served as a stopper to create a tight closure when the blade was inserted into the scabbard. It assured secure bond preventing the sword from wiggling inside the scabbard and entry of water inside it.

Earliest examples were just simple rings of steel forged around the upper part of the forte, but with time they became more esthetically complex, with the plates going along the edge and back sides of the blade.

Then they became embellished with carvings, repousse and stones , which are typical for yataghans but some “lazy” examples were just plain and unadorned leaves of soft metal. It is possible that the simple unsharpened segment of the forte what is colloquially called “ indian ricasso” was a variant of the same idea.

And in some cases, they were just decorative images longer along the spine and shorter along the edge, like what is seen on this yataghan, losing any meaningful function but retaining historical memory of the ancient Turkic tradition.

5th December 2022, 05:55 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	This is an interesting example of transformation of sword blades. Early examples of nomadic sabers from South Siberia to Khazars, Quipchaks, Mongols etc. all had a tunkou-like ( or habaki-like, if you wish) element of the blade adjacent to the handle. It served as a stopper to create a tight closure when the blade was inserted into the scabbard. It assured secure bond preventing the sword from wiggling inside the scabbard and entry of water inside it. Earliest examples were just simple rings of steel forged around the upper part of the forte, but with time they became more esthetically complex, with the plates going along the edge and back sides of the blade. Then they became embellished with carvings, repousse and stones , which are typical for yataghans but some “lazy” examples were just plain and unadorned leaves of soft metal. It is possible that the simple unsharpened segment of the forte what is colloquially called “ indian ricasso” was a variant of the same idea. And in some cases, they were just decorative images longer along the spine and shorter along the edge, like what is seen on this yataghan, losing any meaningful function but retaining historical memory of the ancient Turkic tradition.