Kattara for comments

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Hey Ibrahim,

I disagree in linking alShuhuh to a persian origin. They are arabs who have been in arabia and in the region since before Islam. It is said that they are called alShuhuh (the greedy ones or the broke ones.) because during the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) they stopped paying the zakkat along with other tribes from that region and they were fought and chased to the mountains which they still reside.

One can get an understanding of this story (whether its authentic or not) by checking the meaning of the word Shuh in a dictionary :-)

Salaams Lofty ~ Good point. Certainly they are pre Islamic and today they straddle the border of the UAE and OMAN. There is a total breakdown on the tribe somewhere and I will dig it up... There are a number of key families notably the Shehe ( I also note there are about 5 sects also underlining their sub tribal independence). They are fiercely independent even today. The small axe is very similar to the Luristani axe that it is tempting to draw a conclusion and their own linguistic form is I believe Farsi linked.

About Jerrs axes. The other almost same shaped axe appears with Bedouin in the Omani Wahiba sands region used as a camel stick and a weapon (and called a Quddum) though it is undecorated and on a shaft roughly hewn by the owner as opposed to the Mussandam style which is made by the axe maker complete. Are the two areas tribes previously linked?

Swords. So far as swords are concerned in the Shehu region they seem to have a late production of Omani Sayf only in the last 30 years or so... but that is largely heresay. I recall you indicating that the term Kattara was possibly from that area but I cannot find a link yet.

Work Knife. They also give their main family name to a small work dagger called a "shehe" and though they don't wear Khanjars up there as they favour the Jerrs axe ... they do carry this knife on a simple waistbelt whereas interestingly that knife has found its way as a work knife onto Khanjars in Northern Oman... though generally the preferred work knife is a silver worked antique English Butter Knife (Sheffield Steel ) or the German equivalent from Solingen.

I think it safer of me to describe this unusual group as probably originating from a group of Arab pre Islamic tribes possibly displaced by war, famine or other causes. The name is fascinating and further study is inviting.

On an historical note Richardson and Dorr in Volume 1 of their Craft Herritage of Oman describe the Jerrs Axe as almost identical to a bronze age axe from neighboring area tombs of Qidfa including the design patterns of herringbone, circles, dots and triangle motifs also paralleling designs on stone vessels at the site dated to the second half of the second milenium BC. Pottery also points to a link since it is proven that hand and wheel turning techniques have continued there in the Mussandam which originate in Messopotamia as early as 3000 B.C.etc.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams.. Following up the Shehe detail with Lofty I note that Bertram Thomas more or less linked the tribe with Yemen and the dialect is Kumzari which is an unwritten form. Slightly in contrast Wiki notes the similarity to Persian. I'm not certain if precise dating of the tribal blend can ever be achieved. Linguistics wise It is more likely to be geographical dialectic influence. I would however side with an Arab identity as this appears to be their main form.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all~

Yesterday. Research took me into the Muscat Mutrah souk muddle; a sprawling mass of Omani artefacts set amongst the myriad of hundreds of stores interlinked with winding passageways in a step back in time... trade in there is seldom less than booming... and I was joined by several thousand tourists from a couple of cruise ships parked a few hundred metres away ~ See my thread on Souks of Oman.

There is only really one shop amongst hundreds of others that is worth scrutiny and I spent a few hours looking at heaps of stuff. What is obvious are the masses of Yemeni Jambiyya daggers; mostly cheap stuff. Plenty of Karabella and some half dozen Saudia swords with peculiar elongated hilts of the sort seen on thread.

I also stumbled upon a few other weapons of some note. One showed a date of 1708 followed by some undecipherable squigles. It appeared to be an Omani SAYF (dancing sword) Most peculiar ~ In a flash I could see my entire threads input lurching in a tail spin with flames accompanying !! This was indeed a puzzle and it was not until I was able to analyse the photos that it struck me by inverting the sword what it was. SOLI followed by a few squigles of which the first letter was N....An invisible finger tapped me on the shoulder at that point and whipered SOLINGEN stupid !

The blade not of the same material as a normal Omani Sayf ... The long hilt having been put on by the shop owner 10 years ago and he couldnt remember if it was a welded on Tang !! By pure chance the sword owner walked in... and by even purer chance I knew the lady from 15 years ago ~ A visitor to my shop here !! The sword had come back in for a clean up ///
No one had any idea what this was. Now I realise what it is

On the reverse is a strange set of capital letters that seem to read STAMM STAMM repeated twice on the blade commencing at the hilt though the first few letters of the first word are a bit unreadable. I assume it is STAMM. The meaning is unknown. The letters are identical in style with flared ends.

Before anyone faints I have to caution that this is the only one I have ever seen and that the hilt is probably modified on a Solingen blade of early manufacture since the style of alphabet is the old one with small flares at the end of each capital letter. The date is unknown. I would say 17th or 18th C. It may be a blade off the African side... not as broad as Omani sayf, culminating in a point and flexible but not so flexible as an Omani Sayf. One fuller.We are lucky in that I have identified the man who reworked the hilt and the owner who lives in Muscat... Lucky indeed.

So that forum can take a swing at this I have isolated this on one post and will present the other finds separately... it gets interesting..

PHOTOS
The sword being discussed in this post is at the top of the first picture. The other two swords and others will be discussed in another post.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all, Omani Battle Sword; Sayf.

SECOND SWORD

Odd for a few reasons...
1. Three Fullers.
2. Top rivvet hole filled whereas normally its empty and considered as the wrist strap hole. Filled, however, it cetainly gives a better supported hilt.
3. Squigles on the blade at the throat on one side only. If its letters I cannot decipher. Perhaps this is a running wolf insignia.

Right next door to Mutrah Souk is a fine example of an old archway similar to the design of the Hilt on Omani Battle Sword; Sayf. Pictured below.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all ~ This is where the wheel comes off the bike slightly !
THIRD SWORD.

Old Omani Battle Sword; Sayf.(half hilt missing) This sword raises a few questions viz;


1. European PDKG and asterisks ~An unknown Insignia on this blade.
2. Thin and narrow blade.

I would caution that this thinness and narrow aspect of blade is perhaps the only one like this I have seen. I have never before seen this insignia . It may be the missing link ie the so called 17th century european blade for the Old Omani Battle Sword. Note also that the capital letters appear as quite old gothic in style with flared ends as in the first sword at top of picture and in earlier post ( gothic revival ?) :cool
On research I note a few leads pointing to possible answers from Sotheby's -
1.A small-sword, late 18th century, with hollow-triangular blade etched and gilt with ... circa 1650, with slender double-edged blade, stamped 'Sahagon' within the ... cut with running wolf mark, the spurious date 1616, and the letters 'PDKG' on ...

2.An Indian sword (pata), 18th century, the letters 'PDKG' on ...etc etc

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[David R]

... though generally the preferred work knife is a silver worked antique English Butter Knife (Sheffield Steel ) or the German equivalent from Solingen....Ibrahim al Balooshi sir, any chance of you posting a picture of one of these. I am fascinated by the idea of this sort of re use of a table knife..though given the quality of the steel of these old knives I am not too suprised.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by David R

... though generally the preferred work knife is a silver worked antique English Butter Knife (Sheffield Steel ) or the German equivalent from Solingen....Ibrahim al Balooshi sir, any chance of you posting a picture of one of these. I am fascinated by the idea of this sort of re use of a table knife..though given the quality of the steel of these old knives I am not too suprised.

Salaams David R~ I have this on forum already see search type in butter knife see "are these shafras" and see # 5; my pictures include an Omani worked silver handled Sheffield butter knife.
Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

[A.alnakkas]

Well hey Omani's turned out to like european blades eventually?:P

I like them, dont think they are european made personally but am no expert in the field. I think Omani's, like most Arabs, they have valued foreign blades and have imported + copied them. The pictures you add support that more then anything.

[A.alnakkas]

I think a balanced view is the best one. We cannot suggest that every single blade is native made nor can we suggest that every single fullered (and well made blade) is european. I think thats pointless to just place blades on such assumptions.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Well hey Omani's turned out to like european blades eventually?:P

I like them, dont think they are european made personally but am no expert in the field. I think Omani's, like most Arabs, they have valued foreign blades and have imported + copied them. The pictures you add support that more then anything.

Salaams A.alnakkas Ah well there you have it.

With the help of the Forum we have torn apart the myth on straight flexible Omani Sayf and rightly placed the Old Omani Battle Sayf into a corrected timeframe. The latter weapon regarded by many(with no proof) as variably 10th, 12th, 16th century with varying degrees of guess and error mixed. Some thought it Portuguese which would have placed it in the circa 1500 age bracket. No one had even heard of "The Funoon" . Ibn Jalanda... whos that? The Abbasids? Greek influence? Examples in the Topkapi Museum? Weapon freeze? Gradually the lid has been blown off...off that and the details about the straight flexible dancing sword "The Omani Sayf"... which has no European source whatsoever mainly because it isn't technically a fighting sword but a Religio-National Icon.

Oman did indeed also favour tasty curved swords and the Persian Shamshir, The Zanzibari Nimcha and the Karabela spring to mind where they are termed Kattara (though no one knows why?) in Oman.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Solingen sword at #229

Note to Forum; I saw today(in Muscat)that the The Solingen sword at #229 top picture has now been re scabbarded in Sennau. Regrettably the blade had been reground with a power grinder ... tutt tutt !! The blade is clearly marked in the old style of capitals SOLINGEN and to the reverse STAMM STAMM marked as at original description on #229 etc
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams~ Note to Forum ~ Bringing on some more swords following a Muscat Mutrah Souk visit today and yesterday. The general consensus is that big buyers are moving in and snapping up swords and artifacts for museums and collections up the gulf. There are some good items still around but the writing is on the wall. Its going fast.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams all, Omani Battle Sword; Sayf.

SECOND SWORD

Odd for a few reasons...
1. Three Fullers.
2. Top rivvet hole filled whereas normally its empty and considered as the wrist strap hole. Filled, however, it cetainly gives a better supported hilt.
3. Squigles on the blade at the throat on one side only. If its letters I cannot decipher. Perhaps this is a running wolf insignia.

Right next door to Mutrah Souk is a fine example of an old archway similar to the design of the Hilt on Omani Battle Sword; Sayf. Pictured below.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Fascinating example, unusual to see this form with fullers. The mark seems to be script to me rather than a running wolf or similar. I think this has quite some age to it.

A piece I would love to own.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Iain

Fascinating example, unusual to see this form with fullers. The mark seems to be script to me rather than a running wolf or similar. I think this has quite some age to it.

A piece I would love to own.

Salaams Iain~ Yes most odd... I suspect this has been played with by the storeowners workshop ~ He wouldnt admit that but he wouldnt deny it either !! The third hole to the hilt was cleverly filled making the hilt much firmer in the grip ... It ought to have been empty as this is considered as the wrist strap hole.
Onto the scribble on the blade... I see two pairs of legs and various squigles as is often the running wolf applied by anyone who cares to copy this simple motif. Ive seen it before on swords in this store. It isn't script.
Without taking the hilt apart and grilling the storeowners workshops I cannot speak volumes on what could be a cleverly matched mishmash. It simply goes in my diary as interesting. I would like to own it too !
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.