Help with blade of possible european Make

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 23rd February 2012, 11:43 AM

Salaams all ~ The scabbard has a line of Arabic in the last decorated rectangle which may be a clue. To me this looks like a Red Sea variant with either a badly worn or faked decoration to a blade I can't quite fathom . The hilt looks possibly bedouin possibly Hadramaut even Hyderabadi and possibly an Omani adoption. I suggest inclusion in the Ethnographic side. Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Jim McDougall · 23rd February 2012, 02:46 PM

This is an interesting sword which as Ibrahiim has suggested is of a style of Arabian preference characteristic of Hadhramaut and Yemen. The scabbard which includes the distinct 'aghrab' at the throat is of the type that according to Elgood were produced in Hyderabad for these regions.
The blade seems of 19th century European style and the unusual coloration reminds me of galvanized metal, which has worn through in the rusty areas. The stylized decoration is copied from much earlier European blades using the sword holding arm from a cloud, sun and moon with faces ,popular in many Eastern European blades from 18th century. Many of these earlier blades were purported to be Hungarian, but were likely from either Caucasian or Styrian sources.

The sword itself overall seems to be a relatively modern composite, revising my previous assessment on the blade, which in retrospect does not seem 18th century as the spurious decoration had suggested.

fernando · 23rd February 2012, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

... I suggest inclusion in the Ethnographic side. Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Done

23rd February 2012, 11:43 AM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams all ~ The scabbard has a line of Arabic in the last decorated rectangle which may be a clue. To me this looks like a Red Sea variant with either a badly worn or faked decoration to a blade I can't quite fathom . The hilt looks possibly bedouin possibly Hadramaut even Hyderabadi and possibly an Omani adoption. I suggest inclusion in the Ethnographic side. Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

23rd February 2012, 02:46 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,670	This is an interesting sword which as Ibrahiim has suggested is of a style of Arabian preference characteristic of Hadhramaut and Yemen. The scabbard which includes the distinct 'aghrab' at the throat is of the type that according to Elgood were produced in Hyderabad for these regions. The blade seems of 19th century European style and the unusual coloration reminds me of galvanized metal, which has worn through in the rusty areas. The stylized decoration is copied from much earlier European blades using the sword holding arm from a cloud, sun and moon with faces ,popular in many Eastern European blades from 18th century. Many of these earlier blades were purported to be Hungarian, but were likely from either Caucasian or Styrian sources. The sword itself overall seems to be a relatively modern composite, revising my previous assessment on the blade, which in retrospect does not seem 18th century as the spurious decoration had suggested.