The Habaabi Khanjar/Jambia; FromThe Asir.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Anyways, I challenged you before to pinpoint a dagger of this type to a single Omani craftsman that is known by Omanis. Instead all the names shown are known Saudi craftsmen. But still, I await just one and I am willing to ignore all the evidence against this being from alWusta.

Thank you for your replies ... You need to understand one special key factor in Omani work; Omani Silver smiths invariably never signed their work.It simply wasn't done... In the hundreds of such artisans only one is recorded as ever having placed his "Monika" on his work... That was The Master of Sulayf near Ibri. Sulayf being a tiny village now disused. He died in the early part of the 20thC.

This fact is recorded in Omani Silver the famous book/ pamphlet by Ruth Hawley. (see below)

In respect of your previous note and as I have already indicated the signatures are largely not relevant at this juncture though may well be in future as closer scrutiny is possible...and your work in analyzing those is not in question ... since it is not the signatures which are so important just now but the understanding of how there are three virtually identical weapons in three very different regions; One in Oman and two in Saudia of which one was previously in the Yemen before about 1923.

What is pivotal is the appearance of Saiid The Great and the massive migration South to Zanzibar and other peripheral areas including the Zanj and probably associated places in Yemen....like the Asir. I believe it is this migration which caused these weapons to be dislocated and so identical to the original form; The Al Wusta Khanjar.

The reason for similar al Hasa weapons may well be linked to ship borne trade via Bahrain etc as well as the great caravan traffic of slaves and other goods to Saudia in particular to the Al Hasa Oasis from Buraimi.

Somewhere down the line artisans in these centres seem to have copied in the style of Al Wusta Khanjar or the artisans migrated from Oman and it is this which I am focused upon...

[Richard G]

Apropos nothing in particular, it is interesting to see the three lads in the last photograph are sporting three completely different styles of jambiya\khunja and belt.
Best wishes
Richard

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Richard G

Apropos nothing in particular, it is interesting to see the three lads in the last photograph are sporting three completely different styles of jambiya\khunja and belt.
Best wishes
Richard

Different tribe, different weapon. They are all called Jambia in that region which has a complex muddied history since in about 1923 it was annexed by Saudia and was previously in the Yemen. Take a walk in any souk in the region and you will see many different daggers.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.