Karabela for comment

Jim McDougall · 13th December 2007, 01:06 AM

Hi Jeff,
You're right, the pommel on this is very un-karabela like and in rethinking it seems like the characteristic Ottoman hilt with a peak. The karabela hilt is multilobed and of course is a highly stylized zoomorphic that seems to be a bird head of some sort. I think of those silver hilt pallasches that Elgood also shows in that book, which are noted as 18th century and probably from Hadramaut . Many Arabian regions were under Ottoman suzerainty, so the presence of Ottoman forms seems well placed.

Thanks for coming in on this Jeff! I think those are the usual X markings that show up with ANDREA FERARA etc. at either end, but again think of those numeric sequences.

All the best,
Jim

13th December 2007, 01:06 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,585	Hi Jeff, You're right, the pommel on this is very un-karabela like and in rethinking it seems like the characteristic Ottoman hilt with a peak. The karabela hilt is multilobed and of course is a highly stylized zoomorphic that seems to be a bird head of some sort. I think of those silver hilt pallasches that Elgood also shows in that book, which are noted as 18th century and probably from Hadramaut . Many Arabian regions were under Ottoman suzerainty, so the presence of Ottoman forms seems well placed. Thanks for coming in on this Jeff! I think those are the usual X markings that show up with ANDREA FERARA etc. at either end, but again think of those numeric sequences. All the best, Jim