Is this a Persian Kard?

MichaelZWilliamson · 18th January 2020, 04:56 PM

Here's a link to higher resolution of the script. I can't upload sufficient resolution with the site's limits.

https://www.sharppointythings.com/pi...11aa618-la.jpg

kwiatek · 18th January 2020, 06:54 PM

This is in Persian, but the calligraphy looks more typical of Ottoman metalwork:

بکش خنجر که جان بهر تو [ا]ی نامهربان دارم

'Draw the dagger, since my life is at your disposal, O unkind one!'

The imagery is typical of the Ottoman and Persian poetic traditions, where the poet emphasises his devotion to a cruel beloved, even asking to be killed in order to demonstrate his devotion.

kwiatek · 18th January 2020, 07:01 PM

I should add, I found it online as a verse attributed to the poet Lotfi Shirazi, who was active in the reign of Shah 'Abbas

MichaelZWilliamson · 18th January 2020, 07:12 PM

Thank you very much, kwiatek. That's an interesting piece of information about it.

mariusgmioc · 18th January 2020, 08:45 PM

Thank you for the photos!

The hilt can be either jade (nephrite or jadeite) or onyx. Cannot say.

From the photo with the text (the one from the link you provided), one can clearly see that it is not antique wootz.

So it is either some faux-wootz (done by pattern etching) or some modern version of "wootz."

The koftgari also looks very fresh...

It would be interesting to hear what others have to say about this.

Jens Nordlunde · 18th January 2020, 09:13 PM

I dont see any wootz at all - sorry.

ariel · 18th January 2020, 10:11 PM

As per pics, I do think it is wootz, but a very simple and quite crude one. Not Persian for sure, but Ottoman, one of the many Middle Eastern “Turkish” varieties of Sham that are remembered only by exotic names, but have no defined characteristics.
The dark areas are thick, short and far away from each other.

18th January 2020, 08:45 PM	#5
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,911	Thank you for the photos! The hilt can be either jade (nephrite or jadeite) or onyx. Cannot say. From the photo with the text (the one from the link you provided), one can clearly see that it is not antique wootz. So it is either some faux-wootz (done by pattern etching) or some modern version of "wootz." The koftgari also looks very fresh... It would be interesting to hear what others have to say about this. Last edited by mariusgmioc; 18th January 2020 at 09:03 PM.

18th January 2020, 04:56 PM	#1
MichaelZWilliamson Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Posts: 50	Here's a link to higher resolution of the script. I can't upload sufficient resolution with the site's limits. https://www.sharppointythings.com/pi...11aa618-la.jpg

18th January 2020, 06:54 PM	#2
kwiatek Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 156	This is in Persian, but the calligraphy looks more typical of Ottoman metalwork: بکش خنجر که جان بهر تو [ا]ی نامهربان دارم 'Draw the dagger, since my life is at your disposal, O unkind one!' The imagery is typical of the Ottoman and Persian poetic traditions, where the poet emphasises his devotion to a cruel beloved, even asking to be killed in order to demonstrate his devotion.

18th January 2020, 07:01 PM	#3
kwiatek Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 156	I should add, I found it online as a verse attributed to the poet Lotfi Shirazi, who was active in the reign of Shah 'Abbas

18th January 2020, 07:12 PM	#4
MichaelZWilliamson Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Posts: 50	Thank you very much, kwiatek. That's an interesting piece of information about it.

18th January 2020, 09:13 PM	#6
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	I dont see any wootz at all - sorry.

18th January 2020, 10:11 PM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	As per pics, I do think it is wootz, but a very simple and quite crude one. Not Persian for sure, but Ottoman, one of the many Middle Eastern “Turkish” varieties of Sham that are remembered only by exotic names, but have no defined characteristics. The dark areas are thick, short and far away from each other.