Old Omani Saif

[TVV]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

To me it seems a blade of such esteem as made with wootz, at least in most I have seen, are mounted in more elaborate context than in a relatively austere hilt like this.

Jim,

Thank you for your very thoughtful posts, as always.

To address your statement above that a wootz blade would be expected to have more elaborate dress, I am posting a couple of pictures from Oriental Arms sold archive of another Saif Yamani (or Saif Ya'Rubi) with a wootz blade and a fairly simple and similar hilt. Of course, nothing precludes both hilts from having had some silver decoration at one point, but it has been lost due to age (or for reuse in jewelry) and the only traces that remain are the silver wire inlay on the pommel of the sword I posted.

http://oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=5903

Regards,
Teodor